


Lunula's Gift

by Lasafara



Series: Of Snake Tails And Angel Wings [3]
Category: Supernatural
Genre: Acephobia, Alternate Universe, Cultural Differences, F/F, F/M, Homophobia, M/M, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Trans Characters, War atrocities, ace characters, axlotl!people, bird!people, cultural mpreg (not ABO), cultural polyamory, cultural third genders, lizard!people, nonbinary characters - Freeform, polyamphobia, snake!people
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-08-23
Updated: 2019-11-23
Packaged: 2020-09-24 23:33:45
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 23
Words: 31,620
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20366929
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Lasafara/pseuds/Lasafara
Summary: Things are coming to a head at the front lines, and in Enochia, there is more danger to be found. Dean, Cas, and Cassie have to be careful how they move, to avoid causing more chaos. Sam is battling for his life, desperate to take revenge for his brother-in-law's injury, but is he fighting the right people? Cain, Jody, and Donna are all that stands between an Agaranese invasion, but is all of Agares truly their enemy?Confusion reigns, and courage will be needed to move forward, but Lunula blesses and those who believe will prevail.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Hi! I'm back!
> 
> Special thanks goes to Wargurl83, for helping me get through this, and to my gf elliedew, for supporting and brainstorming when needed. 
> 
> I have FINISHED this story, but I'll still be posting roughly once a week. Provided my life does not get overly hectic, you can expect regular posts. I haven't worked out exactly how long it is yet (I need to go through and chapter-ize everything) but it is shorter than the other two parts. Hopefully you like it!
> 
> Finally! In the interest of being totally transparent, I need to point you guys up to the relationship tags. Yes, there is endgame Cassie/Cas/Dean. If that squicks you, I apologize now. But Dean was always going to have to marry someone who could produce heirs. In this case, Cassie is a trusted friend and confidant, and someone the boys feel they could spend their lives with, co-parent with, and have children with. It's not a love match, but a strong friendship built on trust. The love match is and always will be Dean/Cas, but Cassie provides a stability in the form of childbearing and rearing that Dean needs as heir to the throne. I tried to find a way to make the story work without Cassie, but it didn't, and so here we are. Please enjoy anyway?

“And so we forego all sustenance from dusk to dawn…”

“Mommy,” Elizabeth said, tugging on her mother’s sleeve and interrupting her. “What’s suh-den-ants?”

Andrea smiled down at her daughter. Times like this she missed her husband dearly. This was the beginning of the fourth year without him, and Benny was missing so much. Their child was five now, curious as a monkey and more than willing to make her presence known. Andrea saw more and more of Benny in her as she got older. 

“It means food and drink, honey,” Andrea said. “We’re not going to eat or drink all night, until the sun comes up and we’ll have a feast and sacred ale.”

This was the first year that Elizabeth would be expected to participate. At five, she was considered old enough to understand what was going on. Elizabeth had emphatically declared late last year that she was, in fact, a girl-child, and her genrevelier party was planned for later in the year. For now, Andrea had a lot of explanations ahead of her. Midwinter meant fasting until dawn, honoring those that had come before them with song and prayer, and then breaking their fast with a party, celebrating that the sun had once again risen and the new year had begun. 

The sacred ale was the last priest-ale of the year, drunk together by all in order to symbolically consume the last of the year before venturing into the new growing light. It was made from water blessed by the ancestors, where their dead were placed to drift into the next world. The sacred fish consumed those left there, sending their bodies through the cycle of rebirth and granting them immortality in the form of the water. The priests would take water from upstream, where the rivers were shallower, and create an ale with it that was sent to each of the provinces. 

Not everyone could have the highest of priest-ales, of course, but most provinces had smaller temples that made ales for the masses, and those were just as sacred. Andrea was lucky to be a noble, in this, for she had access to the sacred ale from the Capital. Elizabeth too, would get a small glass of ale, so that she could join in the festivities of the season. Fasting would be hard for the child, but Andrea knew Elizabeth was ready.

Arete willing, next year Benny would be doing this with her, and she would meet their newest child. After all, with Benny pregnant, their family was growing, and she couldn’t wait to see her child. She was so tired of being alone.

*****

As Queens, Mary and Kate’s Midwinter festival was necessarily more public than they would have liked. It was the first year they’d ever had without their two eldest sons in attendance, and everyone, from their advisors to the servants, knew they were quietly mourning. 

It wasn’t as though the men were dead, of course, at least so far as anyone knew. Dean sent regular reports from Enochia, now that communications were open, and everything seemed to be going well for him. He seemed excited about being able to celebrate Midwinter and the ending of the dark season with his husband in Enochia, and Mary and Kate couldn’t deprive him of that. Honestly, if the circumstances weren’t what they were, they likely would have welcomed the idea of Dean spending the holiday with his in-laws. 

Sam, on the other hand, was in trouble when he got home. He’d left a note saying he had ‘business to deal with’ and disappeared with Eileen in the dead of night. Mary and Kate were _not_ pleased. Mary suspected, given the timing, that she knew what their middle child was doing, and while she couldn’t blame him, she was furious he’d made the decision to go without approval. Not that she would have given it had he asked. 

So instead, the Queens rested in the amphitheatre in front row, closest to the giant bonfire on stage, while the actors and dancers spun about the fire. The festival involved lots of noise and laughter, singing and dancing, and the telling of stories, both ancient and modern. Stories of the previous year, of years further back than that, stories that reminded them of who they were and who they wanted to be, stories of gods and heroes and simple country folk called for a higher purpose. Those not in attendance in the amphitheatre would be in their homes, gathered around the hearth fires and doing the same, telling stories of their own families and history. 

The noise and laughter, the story-telling and dancing, all of it was to ward away the darkness. The sun might be gone, but Helical loved a party, and he couldn’t resist coming back when such a great one was happening. The festivities would continue until the sun reached its zenith the next day, at which point all fires would be extinguished and everyone would head outside, each offering Helical a gift in thanks for his return. Then, as always, there would be a great feast, and everyone would be asleep by dark. 

Mary just wished that _all_ her children were with her.

*****

The Enochian amphitheatre was a huge, towering spire, the stage at the bottom. Unlike in Cecropia, where rank was measured by how close a person sat to the stage, in Enochia it was about how high a person was. That meant, to Dean’s utter despair, that he was required to be hauled up to nearly the top of the spire, just below the King and Queen. 

Cas, Dean, and Cassie got their own balcony, one usually reserved for holding a large number of royal guests. It was the only balcony that anyone was sure would hold both Cecropians without any problem. Dean had suggested that he would be perfectly happy to stay on the ground but unfortunately had been overruled. Everyone had, in fact, been rather scandalized by his suggestion. 

Everyone in attendance, including Dean and Cassie, were given lit candles when they arrived. Both Cecropians had been warned that it was imperative that their candles stay lit until they were told otherwise. Dean was sure he was sweating with the effort to keep his candle out of the wind this high up, especially with how much he was shaking.

“Would you like me to hold your candle?” Cas asked.

“Is that okay? Can we do that?” 

Cas nodded. “Technically no, but at this height, especially if I sit close to you, no one will be the wiser.”

Cassie grinned. “Still haven’t gotten over that fear of heights, have you?”

“Shut up,” Dean said. “I don’t see you resting too close to the edge.”

Looking between the two of them, Cas sighed. “Neither of you is used to this. Why don’t we…” Cas began shoving at the Cecropians until they were twined, Dean’s shaking calming as Cassie’s tail rested along his own. Then Cas settled on their tails between the two of them, his back against Dean’s chest and his legs over Cassie’s hips “There. Now I can monitor both your candles and you can both rest assured that no one will fall.”

Cassie and Dean shared an incredulous look, but neither moved away from the other.

“Your highness… Are you sure this is… That this won’t make people talk?” Cassie asked.

“Talk about what?”

“Uh. What Cassie means is that we wouldn’t sit like this unless we were courting or married, Cas,” Dean said. “This is kind of… intimate.”

“Oh. Uh. Should we move?” Cas began to get up, and Dean wrapped his free arm around him to stop him.

“I uh. We’re okay, as long as this won’t start up the rumor mill, babe.”

“Oh! No. This is fairly normal. It helps keep everyone warm,” Cas said. “You’d be more likely to start talk if you didn’t share body warmth this way.”

Dean nodded firmly. “Then we stay. You okay with that, Cassie?”

Cassie was blushing slightly, but she nodded. “I’m okay with it.”

Relaxing back against the wall behind him and Cassie beside him, Dean nuzzled the back of Cas’s neck. He watched as Cassie hesitantly let her free hand settle along Cas’s legs, and found he didn’t mind. That was something to think about.

For now, though, it looked like the ceremony was beginning, the sun just sinking over the edge of the world, and Dean watched as the light faded away.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey all! Sorry I was late, work got away with me.
> 
> Things pick up here, and yeah, this story gets angsty. Also, introduction of Jack! Who gets two names in this fic, an Enochian name and a Cecropian name.

Benny had no idea how long an Enochian birth was supposed to last, but he was sure this was going on too long. Kelly screamed and screamed, crying as she lost blood. The first child was free, covered in a thin skin that kept the limbs bound tightly to the body. Benny had no idea if he was supposed to break the skin. After all, Cecropians gave birth to soft eggs that hardened in the ground. It seemed reasonable that Enochians might be the same. What he could see of the child seemed to encourage that idea. The child was small, so very very small, and Benny just didn’t know what he should do. 

Kelly pushed again, and the second child came free. Benny couldn’t believe how much blood there was. 

“Kelly, bonam, you’re done… I…”

Then she was pushing again, and Benny blanched. Was there more? Kelly barely seemed coherent as it was. How long could this go on?

*****

The bucket brigade wasn’t making a lot of progress, and the fire spread, engulfing the rest of the tent. Screams were heard from around the camp, as those not involved in the brigade came awake. Donna had no idea what was going on in the rest of the camp, and she wasn’t concerned. Jody had taken over managing the camp for the moment, while Donna focused on putting out the fire and keeping Cain from running into the blaze. 

Suddenly, a roar came from within the tent, and the top exploded. Donna blinked, trying to figure out what could have caused that. Then a figure erupted from the tent, flying straight up and then curling its wings around its body. Donna was reminded of the tales told by those who had seen Castiel’s proposal acceptance as the embers of the burning wings drifted down from the figure.

“Michael!” Cain jerked out of her grip, leaping into flight and catching the Enochian just as he began to fall. One-handed, he nearly dropped the Prince, but two Cecropian soldiers were able to help catch the pair as they tumbled through the air just past the tent.

Donna held her breath. There was no way the Prince could have survived that, could he? And where was King John?

*****

Dean’s candle flickered, nearly going out. Frantically, Dean tucked it in closer to his body, Cas and Cassie reaching out to block the sudden gust of wind from all their candles. Dean’s was the worst hit, but even as it guttered, Cas and Cassie both tipped their flames to his, keeping it alight. 

“Thanks, guys,” Dean said. “Wouldn’t want to start the year off with bad luck.”

The priest continued speaking below, a sermon on being a light in the darkness, on the battle of Sceadra and Ealdra and the cycle of the day and night. Dean didn’t really follow all of it, but the priest was still interesting to listen to.

“And so it was, that Sceadra created the darkness, the wilderness and the wild creatures. Sceadra looked upon the chaos of the world, the terrors that haunt the night and the evil that lurks in the minds of people, and felt that was good. Sceadra loves disorder, the cold, and the unknown. 

“It was Ealdra that brought order to the world, that created Enochians in their image. Ealdra beat back the darkness and disorder. But only constant vigilance can maintain order, and so it is that every year Ealdra tires of the battle, letting the days shrink. Thus we, the people of Ealdra, on this night lend our strength to Ealdra.

“Tonight we douse every light in every household but the priest-light in the temple. Instead of using our energies on this night for ourselves, tonight we do not cook, nor do we work. Our fires remain cold, in respect to Ealdra, who fights against the darkness for us. On this day, we pay respect to Ealdra, and spend the night fighting our own battles against the dark, for tomorrow the darkest hours will be behind us!”

At that, a cheer went up, and then the other priests blew out the candles. That seemed to be the signal everyone was waiting for, as all around the tower, the pinpricks of lights like stars in the sky began to go out. Dean blew his out as well, feeling a chill go up his spine as the whole building was left in utter darkness.

*****

There was so much blood. Benny was covered in it to his elbows, and he knew this wasn’t normal. 

“My babies…” Kelly’s voice was so weak, it pulled at Benny’s heart. “Did you… Did you break the skin?”

“The skin?” Benny stared at the Enochian woman in confusion.

“The birthing skin… I want to hold my babies before I die…” Her voice was fading fast.

Benny blanched, jerking his head to stare at the babies, still encased in their thin birthing skin. Carefully, so carefully, Benny used his claws to open the skins. One baby was still, so very very still, and Benny mourned silently over the lost life. 

The other baby gasped, not quite breathing but not gone yet. Praying that he was doing the right thing, Benny carefully tipped the child upside-down, supporting their neck and chest, and began thumping the child on the back like he would a newborn Agaranese child who was struggling to breathe. And so he prayed; to the Cecropian gods, the Enochian god, and his own predecessors, anyone who might save this baby.

With a sharp cry, the baby began to wail, and Benny breathed a sigh of relief. “Here’s your child, your highness.”

Benny rested the tiny baby in her arms, supporting her as she looked at the baby she had given her life to birth.

“My other…?”

Benny just shook his head, and Kelly’s eyes watered. Nodding, she passed her infant back to Benny.

“Take er. Raise er right. Please. Er name is Zadkiel. Don’t let Lucifer have er,” Kelly said, her voice rising in pitch with desperation. “Promise me!”

“Oh bonam. I promise.”

“Thank you, Benny.”

And then Benny was alone with the infant, Kelly’s face forever fixed in a peaceful smile. 

“Zadkiel, cher,” Benny said to the crying infant, “Child, we have such a mess on our hands.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> bonam: Agaranese for friend
> 
> Sceadra: the darkness to Ealdra's light. Ealdra is order, Sceadra is chaos. It is believed that Sceadra will have er time in control of the world, but for now, the circle favors Ealdra.


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Another week, another chapter! These were especially hard to write, as I dealt with sad things and gathered threads I'd left dangling last part. Things will get better soon.

Rowena leaned in to the Matriarch of the province of Eketinpher as she walked past at the end of the Council Midwinter Court. “Might I have a word with you, Lady Abaddon, at your earliest convenience?”

Lady Abaddon nodded, ever so slightly, with no other indication that she’d heard Rowena. It didn’t matter, though. The rules of The Court were many and varied, and Abaddon would seek her out before the end of the day. Rowena only had to wait.

*****

Jody had optimistically believed that things in a camp with two countries under a new and somewhat shaky treaty couldn’t go this badly this quickly, but she had been proven wrong soundly. Her soldiers were busy putting out fires that had been started from the initial fire at the royal tent, when a shout went up, somewhere in the outskirts of the camp.

“The Cecropians have betrayed us! Michael is dead!”

Glaring in the direction of the unknown shouter, Jody looked to her soldiers, the closest of whom turned to her in confusion.

“Hold! Soldiers, hold!”

Cecropians within her earshot held firm, well-trained even without understanding. Enochians, on the other hand, carried the cry further, before some began scrambling for weapons. 

“Defend yourselves if you must, soldiers, but do not engage!” Jody screamed, her voice ringing through the chaos and disarray. 

*****

Cain cradled Michael’s body against his body with his arm, protected from the madness going on around him by one of the Cecropians that had helped him catch the prince. The other Cecropian soldier had whipped off part of their clothing, and was using it to try to put out Michael’s still-smoldering wings.

“Come back to me, Prince,” Cain murmured. “Your mother will not be pleased with me if you die.”

Michael groaned, his eyes fluttering open. “Cain?”

“Oh thank Eald,” Cain said. Lifting his head to the sky, he shouted. 

“_The Prince lives! Prince Michael lives_!”

*****

When Cain’s voice rang out, loud and unmistakable, the Enochian soldiers who had begun to find weapons paused in confusion. Every Enochian soldier knew Cain’s voice, was trained to listen to him above all others. Cain demanded it, because sometimes it meant the difference between a soldier living to see their family or not.

Jody echoed the call, watching as most of the soldiers went from gathering arms and gearing up to fight, to simply milling about. She could tell the fires were nearly out, the bucket brigade having done its job, and her Cecropian soldiers were beginning to get restless. No news had been announced about King John yet, and that was more than a little concerning. 

The soldiers were angry, some of them hurt, and it wouldn’t be long before fighting broke out again. Jody immediately began shouting orders, getting the camp up and lit and prepared for an invasion. Clearly someone had gotten past the lines, and she was determined to work out who. And that meant finding out who was accounted for and who was not.

*****

Cain handed Michael off to the medics and got to his feet. Michael’s life still hung in the balance, but the fact that he was conscious and aware of his surroundings was a good sign. Cain was fairly sure there was no head injury, but his wings were badly burned. Cain feared Michael might never fly again. 

The most important thing, though, was that Michael was alive. Losing his ability to fly would be hard, but it wasn’t the end of his existence. As long as he survived the initial injuries, Cain would make sure he made it home to live a long and healthy life. 

For now, though, Cain couldn’t do anything more for Michael than he already had. Looking to the two Cecropians who had helped him rescue the prince, Cain got their attention. “Can you lift me up so that I can be seen by all without the risk of accidentally restarting the fire?”

Without hesitation, both soldiers nodded and helped Cain stand on their shoulders carefully, his wings outstretched to help maintain his balance. Looking around, he could see pockets of his Enochian soldiers shouting at Cecropian soldiers. Clearly, the attack had done its job and where there had once been a reluctant truce, now there was open antagonism. General Donna was still dealing with small fires, but General Jody had done well in keeping the fighting to a minimum. Now it was Cain’s turn to rally his soldiers together.

“Soldiers! The Cecropian king is unaccounted for, and likely still in the royal tent! I need a squad to help our allies find and rescue their King, as they have assisted us in rescuing our Prince!” Cain shouted over the crowd, and Jody paused in her orders to let the Enochian general speak. “Those of you on the edge of camp, spread out, and help the Cecropians secure our base! Everyone else, fall in with General Jody Turner and follow instructions! Now is not the time for confusion!”

Cain could hear the grumbling from his perch on the Cecropian soldiers’ shoulders, but he didn’t see any more outright rebellion, which was the most important thing. His soldiers _should_ be better trained than to start an uprising in the midst of confusion, and he _would_ get to the bottom of that. 

But first, they needed to make sure any Agaranese invaders were taken care of.

*****

Sam blocked another arrow, grateful that he’d taken the time to keep his armor fitted, even after he decided to join the priesthood. The armor wasn’t state of the art, by any means, but it served its purpose well. To his left came another scream, as Eileen took out another of their attackers. Although she couldn’t hear, she was adept at ‘listening’ to the vibration of the earth, a gift given to her by the gods in exchange for her hearing. She could also scent more keenly than any other Cecropian Sam knew. Those talents combined made her one of the most skilled hunters in Ophidai City, and had she not decided to go into the priesthood, Rufus, Jody, and Donna would have snapped her up as an officer. They’d attempted to bribe her into it anyway.

Three more attackers came at Sam from the front, and he raised his bangar to the ready, the end properly tipped with a blade to be used as a weapon, instead of bare, like it would be were it only a musical instrument. The rattles from his shed sounded threateningly as they resonated against the Agaranese maces he faced. Behind him (though he hated to put Emissary Roman at his back), the Leviathan wielded a short cudgel made of bone to fend off attackers. 

Then, as quickly as the battle started, it was over, the bodies of the Agaranese mercenaries scattered on the ground around them. Eileen popped up with a smile, holding a moaning Agaranese soldier by the tail and signing happily with her free hand.

“I took one alive,” she said, “so we can question him.”

“That’s great!” Sam signed back to her, and then turned to Dick Roman, speaking aloud, “First, though, you need to answer some fucking questions, or I’ll drag you across the border and kill you myself.”

Dick bowed slightly, his smile just a touch too wide. “I am at your disposal.”

“Explain what you meant by the Enochian Prince sending you after Cas.”


	4. Chapter 4

Rowena sat down in a quiet alcove with Lady Abaddon, both of them delicately sipping the spicy chocolate drink Rowena’s province was known for. Lady Abaddon had no trouble acquiring her own, of course, as Rowena and Abaddon’s provinces were open for trade and did so vigorously. However, as the supplicant in this scenario, Rowena needed to make an offering of goodwill to prove her good intentions. Her best cocoa was perfect for just such an occasion.

“It has been a long time,” Abaddon said, taking another gentle drink.

“Indeed. Too long, I think. I hardly see you anymore, my dear,” Rowena replied.

“I am extremely busy, of course, taking care of things in my province. It’s not like when we were girls, and could wander about freely, taking the world by the gonads.”

Rowena tittered politely. “You always did have such a way with words.”

“So my advisors tell me.”

“Have your advisors had much to say recently on matters?”

The doublespeak, though annoying to some, was necessary. In matters of The Court, one did not simply state one’s opinion out in the open for all to hear. It took time to get to the heart of the matter, time spent in strengthening bonds and making deals. Rowena wouldn’t ruin her chances at gaining Abaddon’s help by being too blunt.

“Advisors speak much, but say little.”

“Ah, me, yes, the weight of the world on your shoulders and your advisors can’t see past their own nostrils. I do understand,” Rowena said. 

“Of course you do. I’m sure your own advisors bring you quite a bit of news.”

“Oh yes, they do. I’ve heard talk of… Well, I’m sure your own people will have heard of this, mind you, but it’s recently come to my attention that things at the border are not what they might seem.”

“Oh?” Abaddon did not do anything so crass as lean forward, but Rowena could tell she had her attention. “Please, share. I would be quite happy to confirm your findings.”

With a sweet smile, Rowena began to speak.

*****

Meg sat outside her father’s room, quietly listening to his triumphant crowing. 

“I wish I could have seen the slimy bastard squirm. Better yet, if I could have skinned him alive. Can you imagine the look on his wives’ faces when they saw me wearing their husband’s skin? Beautiful,” Alastair said, his voice betraying his joy at the thought. 

His advisor, Azazel, replied, “Yes, sir. It would have been beautiful.”

“We have confirmed John is dead then, correct?”

“Yes sir. The flames were set in his bed by a loyalist to Lucifer who had been able to get assigned to the Enochian Prince Michael. There is no way he survived,” Azazel said.

“Have we heard from Prince Lucifer recently?”

“Not in several weeks, sir.”

That was enough information for Meg to act. She knew her father was desperate, but she couldn’t help but think him a fool for this alliance. He was so focused on his revenge that nothing else seemed to matter.

The problem, she thought as she snuck away, was going to be how to get this to Crowley. And could she trust Crowley with this information?

*****

Hannah recorded all her findings in a small book. Her notes on Uriel’s body were extensive, taking into account everything she had been told, had observed, and had done. It was long, and she would need to condense it for her report to Princep Raphael, but she didn’t want to accidentally leave out anything important.

It was not common to have to do an examination of a body like this, but it wasn’t entirely unheard of. Most deaths were fairly obvious in their cause. Those that weren’t… Well, Enochia had its fair share of bad characters, just as any country did. Hannah wasn’t entirely sure what to make of this death though. 

Clearly Uriel _had_ gone down in battle. That much was clear. He had marks that indicated he’d been in a fight; defensive wounds. Weirdly, some of the wounds were on his shield arm. If Uriel had been in a situation where things could go poorly, such as any situation that involved Leviathan, he should have been wearing _all_ his gear. That included his short shield on his non-dominant arm, to prevent exactly the kind of defensive wounds she had found. Instead, it seemed like he had used his bare arm to shield against blows.

That didn't make any sense to Hannah. 

The fatal wounds on the body, the ones that had dug out a significant portion of Uriel's neck, also weren't right. Leviathan primarily used their teeth and a short spear, a kurzewaf, that had a hook in the blade. From Enochian observations of the enemy, it was used as much as a hunting tool as it was a weapon of war, the hook allowing the kurzewaf to stay embedded in a fish or animal so it could be dragged back to the hunter. Or to drag a warrior forward into the Leviathan's range for a bite. Uriel's wounds weren't characteristic of that kind of attack.

His wounds, as near as Hannah could tell, were made by a series of four straight blades, no hooks. Honestly, she'd suspect claws. But Leviathan didn't have claws.

Gathering her notes, she headed for the Princep Medic's quarters. If anyone could make sense of this, it would be Princep Raphael.

*****

Gadreel knew his place. He knew that Prince Michael was far above his station, even as an officer, but he couldn’t stay away. He’d watched Michael every chance he could since he’d been commissioned into the military, and now he couldn’t stay away. Michael was his commanding officer, sure, but Michael was… important to him, in a way he didn’t want to try to explain. In a way that was inappropriate for a man of his status, and yet…

Kneeling by the bed Michael had been laid out on, Gadreel gently rested his fingers against the unburned skin of Michael’s arm, and prayed.

“I can’t lose you now, Michael… I think I’m in love with you…”

Michael’s eyes opened.

*****

Raphael watched as, after four days of lying in state for mourners to visit, Uriel’s body was carefully bundled up for the proper rites. In a few hours, the body would be laid out on a funeral pillar, some ways down the mountain. The pillar, only a few hands high, would then be left alone for the wild animals and birds to carry away what they wanted. After six months, anything left on the stone pillar would be burned, the smoke carrying the family’s well-wishes to the dead. Then, the mourning period was over, and a party celebrating the life of the departed would be held. If nothing was left, it was a sign from Ealdan that this person had been especially blessed, and incense was burned instead. In the rare cases that a body remained mostly intact, well… If even Ealdan’s own animals and birds could not stomach a person, truly there had been something wrong.

Uriel’s body was… different. Raphael had spoken with Hannah, and was concerned with her findings. The priestess had noted inconsistencies with the story Raphael had been told. Dean did not seem to be lying, but then his focus had also been solely on Castiel. Raphael could hardly blame the Cecropian for focusing on his injured husband, instead of where his husband’s bodyguard was. 

It bothered Raphael, though. Why was Uriel dead of wounds that he shouldn’t have been able to get? Why wasn’t he wearing his full armor? The ceremony might have just been… well, ceremonial, but Uriel had been trained to be Castiel’s bodyguard from childhood. Surely he would know the dangers of a royal personage being out in the open like that. He should have been in full armor, if only for appearances. With the Leviathan there, an attack was likely, even expected, making the need for armor even greater. 

That along with the fact that the wounds were inconsistent with a Leviathan attack and with a Cecropian attack, had Raphael confused. And Raphael did not like to be confused, especially not when er brother’s life was at stake. Since Dean did not seem to know the answers, it was time to talk to someone who might.

Benny Lafitte.

*****

Benny knelt in front of Mary and Kate, trying to contain his tears. He’d cared for Kelly for several months, and had come to care greatly for her. For all that they were completely different species, the Princess had come to be like a sister to Benny, and reporting her death had been one of the most difficult things he’d done in his life, second only to leaving his wife and year-old daughter to keep them safe. 

Balthazar knelt beside him, his wings spread in supplication. Quietly, he reached over with a wing and brushed the tips of his feathers against Benny’s back. Taking a shuddering breath, Benny shot a small smile at Balthazar. Through it all, Balthazar had been his friend, and Benny was glad for his support in this. 

It didn’t help that Benny was about halfway through his own pregnancy at this point, and the stress of watching his very pregnant friend die in childbirth along with one of her two children had not helped his outlook on his own first pregnancy.

“Balthazar,” Mary said.

“Yes, my queen?”

“Is there any way you can get a message to my sons in Enochia, quietly? Something outside the regular royal correspondence.”

The Enochian was silent for a moment, and then nodded. “My bodyguard, Hael, was allowed to return to me once communications reopened. My parents insisted. I can send her out again.”

“Do so. See if Castiel has any suggestions. Somewhere out there are parents who deserve to have their daughter back,” Kate said, her voice quiet and mournful.

“I will keep her body for now,” Benny said. 

Mary raised an eyebrow. “Are you sure you don’t want us to treat it first? So that it doesn’t…”

She trailed off, but Benny knew what she was talking about. The climate in Cecropia was still warm enough that bodies would start rotting within a few days. That’s why it was common to get them into the ground within a span of four days at the most. The cemetery was near the temple, where the dead could be buried quickly after a night of watchful wake and revelry. The party went on around the dead body, both to celebrate the person’s life and to be sure that the person was really dead. More than once a celebration had been known to wake the dead.

Benny nodded. “You can’t risk treatment as that will make it obvious someone prepared the body, and you can’t put her any place that someone might find her until we know what we’re doing with her. At least with me, she’ll be treated with dignity and respect while we wait for word from Enochia. Besides, it’s cold enough that… It’ll be okay for a few days.”

Kate and Mary both narrowed their eyes at that, but shared a glance and then nodded. 

“Hael can probably be there and back by morning, if she leaves now,” Balthazar piped up. “With any luck, Cas’ll know exactly what to do and we can go from there.”

Mary sighed. “Very well. Keep us informed, Balthazar.”

Balthazar and Benny bowed low. Benny sighed. There was so much to do…


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> New week, new chapter! A warning, next week's might be a day or so late. My job has The Big Boss coming in from out of town for a visit, and so my life is going to be a bit hectic. I'll try to get it out on time though.

Hael arrived at the Enochian castle late that night, landing in the Princep Medic’s wing. Making her way quickly from the traverse alcove, she ducked through the halls until she found the inner medical chambers.

“I need to speak with Prince Castiel,” Hael said to the medics she encountered there. “Can you show me to his winter quarters?”

*****

Raphael met Hael, Castiel, Dean, and Cassie in Castiel’s shared quarters. Er medics knew to get er if anyone came to see Castiel. After two separate attacks on er brother’s life, Raphael was not about to risk letting just anyone near Castiel or Dean. 

E wasn’t particularly worried about Hael, to be honest, but it was the principle of the thing, really. Besides, with the unknowns surrounding Uriel, it was clear that even the most trusted of guards weren’t… necessarily to be trusted. Raphael would be sending a message to Balthazar and Benny as soon as possible about that. For now… It was time to find out what Hael needed.

Hael raised an eyebrow when the Princep walked in, and looked to Castiel. Raphael was not pleased at the very clear ‘should e be here’ look she was giving Castiel. 

Castiel just gestured and nodded. “We trust Raphael, and may need er help with this. Please, Hael. Deliver your message.”

Bowing and spreading her wings, Hael spoke. “Your Highnesses, we regret to inform you that Princess Kelly and her firstborn child did not survive the birth.”

Dean and Raphael both cursed. 

“Her second child yet lives, cared for by Benny and Balthazar. Given the precarious position that our countries are currently in, the Queens of Cecropia request your advice and help in what to do with the body. Kelly’s family deserve to know of her fate.”

“Oh, Kelly,” Castiel said quietly.

“She was scared,” Raphael said. “And yet we still don’t know of what. More information is needed, information we can’t get from her now.”

“What are we going to do about the child?” Cassie asked. “It’s not as though an Enochian child can be adopted into a Cecropian family without question.”

“And the child is family,” Cas said. “I couldn’t stand it if my nibling were adopted into an anonymous family.”

“Agreed,” Raphael said.

“So… What, one of your siblings adopts the child?” Dean asked.

“We can’t let Lucifer have er,” Raphael said. “It will only make whatever his plottings are that much stronger. This is the first grandchild to our parents, and there is no way they will ignore that Lucifer is the one who gave er to them.”

Standing up, Raphael began to pace. “I have some issues of my own. Hael, when do they expect you back?”

“I am needed back by midmorning tomorrow,” Hael replied.

Nodding, Raphael sighed. “It is a pity you are such a fast flyer, in some ways. It gives us very little time to plan. Very well. I know Kelly trusted Benny and Balthazar. I will prepare a letter for you to take back to them. I have some questions that need to be answered immediately, questions that may change how this situation is dealt with. In the meantime…”

“What if we brought Prince Gabriel into this?” Cassie asked. “He seems to already know a certain amount anyway. Assuming you haven’t been talking to him about this already, I mean.”

“More the merrier, I think,” Dean said. “It’s a good idea.”

“Very well. I will talk to Gabriel. He has been known to fake his death often enough that our parents wait at least three days now before announcing his demise,” Raphael said, and Dean snorted. “Perhaps he will have some idea as to how to handle this.”

“Okay, sounds good,” Dean said. “And I’ve got an idea about the kid, but I gotta run it past Cas, first.”

Raphael blinked slowly at Dean, and nodded. 

“Very well. I will get back to you. Hael, with me, please.”

*****

John’s body had been uncovered amongst the wreckage of the tent, his bed and body charred and burnt nearly beyond recognition. The fire had been the worst in his section of the tent, in his sleeping area, and yet Donna knew that John was religiously careful with his candles. Mary and Kate had been in a fire scare early in Adam’s life, and John had never wanted to risk another close call after that. Donna wasn’t sure, but it seemed more than a little possible that foul play had been involved.

Michael was lucky. He’d survived, and though he was in a great deal of pain, he was largely conscious, and angry. Michael’s wings were heavily bandaged, the feathers having caught fire during his escape from the tent. His breathing was still ragged, presumably from the smoke, and he had burns on his hands and arms as well. The field medics were changing his bandages regularly, applying creams and salves in an attempt to heal as much of his body as could be healed. 

Cain was not hopeful that Michael would fly again, not with the amount of damage to his wings and his refusal to go into torpid. Donna worried what that meant for his time here, and what that meant for his people. Enochians were known to be aloof and proud, after all. 

For now, Cain was in charge until Enochia could officially send someone else or Michael recovered. Michael had refused to be carried back to Enochia to be treated by his brother, a stance that had caused a prolonged semi-polite fight between him and Cain. Michael was determined to see this battle through. They’d attacked him personally, after all.

The most important thing, right this minute, was figuring out what precisely had happened. Which was why Generals Cain, Donna, and Jody were meeting alone in their tent now.

“I find it extremely suspicious that the minute the tent went up, one of my own soldiers was there to shout dissonance,” Cain said.

“Yeah,” Donna agreed. “There’s something fishy about that all right.”

“I’m just glad we were able to keep it from breaking out into mutiny,” Jody said. “It wouldn’t have taken much. Our soldiers are well-trained, but even they have their breaking points.”

“We’re lucky Michael survived,” Cain said. “With tensions as high as they were--as high as they are--I would not have been able to rein them back otherwise.”

He didn’t mention the dig about the Cecropians being well-trained. His soldiers were well-trained too, but something had happened. Something was very very wrong. 

“I’ve spoken to my colonels, who’ve interrogated their soldiers extensively. No one in their cohorts seems to know where the shout came from. That leaves the soldiers in Prince Michael’s company, and the soldiers Prince Lucifer left behind,” Cain said. 

“Can you trust your colonels?” Jody asked, holding her hands up in surrender at his glare. Cain sighed.

“You’re right. I’m sorry. But yes, I have worked with these men for years, have trusted most of them with my life at one time or another. I can’t believe it of them. Michael’s company still needs to be questioned, as does the platoon Lucifer left behind, and I’ll be doing that myself,” Cain said. “Most of them were brought in from the palace. It’s possible that it was simply a panicked reaction, and the perpetrator is hesitant to come forward now.”

“Do you really believe that?” Donna asked.

“No. No, I don’t,” Cain replied grimly.

*****

Michael had never found himself drawn to the women his mother paraded in front of him. He knew that as the crown prince, he had little choice but to marry someone with a womb. His mother largely chose women, a bias of hers he hadn’t bothered to point out. But Michael had known from the time he first announced his pronouns to the world that he was more drawn to men and male fernan. 

Of course, life wouldn’t allow him the pleasure of marrying for love, since he needed children. Crown princes and princesses were required to have blood children to carry on the line. And he’d finally agreed that upon his return, Mother could pick out a ‘proper’ bride for him, once he’d proven his worth as a royal leader. She’d found a nice, upper class girl named Dorothea that she’d written to him about extensively.

He’d agreed.

But he’d been living at the camp for some months, and living in the pockets of his lieutenants, and Gadreel had… caught his eye, was perhaps the best word for it. Gadreel had never seemed to reciprocate his attention though, and Michael had resigned himself to that. Looking cost him nothing, and he was happy to be near Gadreel.

Then he was hurt. And Gadreel snuck in and declared his love for Michael thinking Michael asleep, and Michael wouldn’t be parted from him again. 

If he left the front lines, he left the Enochians without royal representation, which was his primary concern. More importantly, though, if he went into torpid he would lose the only time he would ever have with Gadreel, and he refused to do that. So he held out, stubbornly repeating that he couldn’t leave the front lines without another royal present, and demanded Gadreel attend to him at all times. 

He might have to marry Dorothea, but Michael would not lose his one chance at happiness in this moment, even if it cost him his ability to fly.


	6. Chapter 6

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I am so sorry guys. I meant to keep up with this, and life got a bit away from me. A lot away from me, honestly. And then I had a mild freak out about getting caught up and made it worse. But I'm back! And I'll try really hard to not have another unplanned break.

Sam arrived back home to find the city in mourning. Shrouds of purple were draped from the highest window of every house, and candles were lit to ward the dead away from the homes of the living and help guide them on their journey onward. Bouquets of King’s Mantle could be seen hanging over every door. Looking to Eileen in alarm, Sam saw his own panic reflected back to him. Grabbing her hand for support, they quickly made their way to the castle. 

“Mom! Mama!” Sam said, bursting into Mary and Kate’s personal quarters. “What happened? Is it Cas? Dean?” 

Mary was the first to recover from the intrusion, and she shook her head, her eyes beginning to water. “Sam. You’re safe. Thank the gods.”

“Mom!”

Kate sighed. “No, Cas and Dean are both fine.”

“But the city…”

“It’s your father,” Mary said. “He was attacked… He didn’t survive.”

*****

After Raphael left, Cas sat down in one of the chairs in his chambers and stared at his hands. He couldn’t believe Kelly was dead. He couldn’t believe that his last real words to her, the last time he had seen her in person, had been to shuffle her to the side. It felt so very very callous now. Sure, he couldn’t have known what would happen after that, and he certainly couldn’t help his own injuries, but still…

Kelly had been a quiet woman, with a core of strength that couldn’t be ignored. Cas had known that Lucifer hadn’t always been the kindest to her. It was one reason he’d insisted on talking to her at the various luncheons and family get-togethers. Lucifer had never liked it, but Cas had never really particularly cared. There had always been something about her that had called to him.

He really would have called her a good friend, and now he felt like he’d failed her, no matter how untrue that might actually be, and he couldn’t figure out what he should do about it. Kelly needed to come home, her dead infant needed to come home, in order to be properly mourned and placed upon the pillar of death. Her family deserved to wear the white veils of mourning, to know what had happened to their daughter, their sister, their aunt. 

And the living infant! What would become of er? Would the child be adopted into an exiled Enochian family, never to know er grandparents, er sibrents? Cas couldn’t bear the thought of not being able to be in the child’s life at all. He didn’t know what to do. It was overwhelming and upsetting and he needed to figure out what to do because if he didn’t, who was going to? Who else would care for this child, if he didn’t? Who--?

Cas felt hands on his shoulders, hands on his waist, and he began to shake, turned into the shoulder he found closest to him and grabbed for the arms he felt near him, and began to sob, his breath coming to him in short pants as he cried. He cried for the child who had never known the life this world could bring, cried for the child who might never know er family now, who might not even have a family, cried for the friend and mother who would never raise her children. And when he thought he was out of tears, he cried for himself, trapped here and unable to be there for his sister-in-law.

*****

Dean looked at Cassie over Cas’s head. Quietly, at his husband’s back, his childhood friend whispered comforting nonsense to Cas, her arms wound tightly around his waist. Cas had one of her arms held tightly in his own grip. Dean’s arms were wrapped around Cas’s shoulders, Cas’s face pressed into his chest while he cried, Cas using his other arm to cling to Dean’s waist.

Gently, Dean wrapped his tail around Cassie’s, using it to help support Cas’s weight. Cassie glanced up, pausing in her comforting to stare at Dean. Looking down meaningfully, Dean kissed the top of Castiel’s head. With a small smile Cassie nodded, and together they went back to comforting this Enochian who had somehow become so important to them.

*****

It was some time later that Cas finally stopped crying, finally stopped needing so much, and finally lifted his head from the chest he had buried himself in. There was Dean, holding him gently, and Cas smiled. His husband was truly one of the best people he knew in his life. Dean smiled back at him, and leaned down for a soft, tender kiss. Cas pressed into it, then pulled back, looking over his shoulder.

There was Cassie, and somehow, Cas realized he had… Not the same feelings for her that he did for Dean. He wasn’t sure that was actually possible. But she was a good person, a good Cecropian, and a good friend, and without thinking too hard about it, Cas found himself throwing his arms around her neck.

“Thank you, Cassie,” Cas said, before giving her a quick peck on the cheek. Her face went red, and she looked quickly at Dean before looking away.

“It’s no problem, your highness.”

“Please. Call me Cas.”

Dean tugged Cas close and grinned at Cassie. “Yeah, you can use our names, Cassie. You know that.”

If it were possible, her face went even redder, and she started to pull away. Cas suddenly realized exactly how closely Dean and Cassie were entwined, and it made him smile. Something about the sight didn’t inspire jealousy, like he thought it should, but joy. It was something to think about.

*****

“Anyway,” Dean said, refusing to let Cassie disentangle herself. He didn’t say anything about it, but Dean could be stubborn when he wanted to be, and for this? For this he wanted to be stubborn. Something was happening here, and Dean wanted to see it through.

Cassie finally stopped struggling, and Dean relaxed as Cassie and Cas both settled into his arms. “Anyway. I have something I want to run past you, Cas.”

“Yes?” Cas asked, resting his wings against the two Cecropians. Dean loved the feel of Cas’s wings, and it made him happy that Cas would be so relaxed here with them both.

“I was thinking. This kid is your family. We can’t give him back to Lucifer, obviously. That would just help cement whatever plans Lucifer is making,” Dean said.

“Are we really sure about that?” Cassie asked. “I mean, Lucifer is second in line to the throne, after all. Would the child really come before Michael?”

“We don’t know what other plans Lucifer is making,” Cas said. “It’s best to assume that whatever schemes he’s conceiving, a pawn like a royal child of his own would only assist in making them easier to come to fruition. Lucifer has been trying to have a child for over a year now, while Michael doesn’t even have a partner. We can’t trust that Lucifer would have the child’s best interest at heart.”

“Right,” Dean said. “So here’s my thought. What if we adopted the child?”

Cas just blinked. Then he squinted, cocking his head slowly to the left. 

“Okay, wait, just hear me out, okay?” Dean raised a hand to forestall any arguments. “The kid needs a family, right? And I know you’d rather they stay with someone you know, even better if that someone was already part of your family. But we can’t risk giving them back to Kelly’s family, or really anybody here. So what if instead they were ours? Like, yours and mine? We could adopt them in secret or something.”

“That could actually work,” Cassie said, “if Cas was willing to fake a pregnancy. I mean, everyone here knows you’re married to Dean, and from what I’ve heard when they thought I couldn’t hear them, the servants have some really interesting ideas on how sex between you guys works.”

Cas and Dean both went entirely red and sputtered, but Cassie kept talking.

“The thing is, no one thinks you guys _aren’t_ having sex. They just aren’t sure how it’s happening. So if you start looking like you’re pregnant, everyone will believe it,” Cassie said.

“But surely the gestation period will make it clear that I was never really pregnant,” Cas said thoughtfully.

“Who knows how a pregnancy between an Enochian and a Cecropian would work? As far as I know, it’s never happened before,” Dean said, getting excited by the idea. “We can bring Raphael in on it so that it all is legit and everything, and no one questions it.”

“True, my sibling would be willing to help with this, I think,” Cas said. “And since we give birth largely in private, with only a medic on hand to help… This could actually work.”

Dean laughed. “Cas, this is great. We’re gonna have a baby!”

Cas smiled, getting teary-eyed again. “We’re gonna have a baby. Cassie, Dean… We’re gonna have a baby.”

“Aww hell, babe,” Dean said, gathering Cas up in his arms again. “Don’t cry, please. This is good.”

“I know,” Cas said, crying anyway. “I know.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Notes:  
sibrents: gender neutral term for siblings of parents (aunts and uncles)


	7. Chapter 7

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Monday chapter! Because I can.

It was four days after the birth of her child, and Meg hadn’t quite yet decided what to do with the information she’d overheard. On the one hand, her father was clearly playing a bigger game than she’d realized, and quite possibly a bigger game than he was able to win. On the other hand, she had no idea what his plans were. It was certainly possible that his plans involved a massive double-cross, or some other plot that would tip things in their favor. It seemed unlikely, but…

Alastair was, above all else, about the _perception_ of immediate wins. That was why he’d refused to concede to the Cecropians years ago, before she was born. She’d asked her mother about that once, and her mother had explained, obliquely, that if Alastair had accepted their terms, it would have made him seem weak. Never mind that it would have given him land that wasn’t fraught with enemies. 

That was what his battles were all about, after all. With a long, L-shaped province, Alastair’s province had the majority of the border with Cecropia and most of the western beaches, without very much land interior of either of those borders. It meant that no matter what, he was always fighting a battle with either the Cecropians or the Leviathan, with very little break. Had he been able to forge a peace with the Cecropians, he might have been able to save his people a great deal of grief. Sadly…

Well, no one had ever said Alastair wasn’t impetuous, and he’d certainly never been called humble. Her father couldn’t stand having a victory that wasn’t one hundred percent his own. 

At least the border with the Cecropians was mostly at uneasy posturing right now. With the Enochians at the border now, it was only a matter of time before Alastair was forced to either back down or go to the Court and request aide. The Leviathan on the other hand…

That was a frustrating, never-ending battle, and Meg knew it. The problem was down to a lack of respect for the dead. Agaranese people performed a ceremony for their dead that involved dressing the dead person in the finest black linen and tucking all their most treasured small items into the bindings. Then, in front of all the dead person’s family and friends, the dead was placed on a small floating platform that was rowed out to the middle of the local river or lake. The platform was then tipped into the water, dropping the dead person into the deepest part of the water. There, the changing nature of the water took over, and the person was given over to the world. 

Leviathan enjoyed the ceremonies greatly, especially because it gave them great pleasure to not only viciously rip apart the dead person to find the treasures hidden in the linen, but also to swim to the surface and announce their presence with body parts of the one left to the water. 

Meg had seen it once before, with her mother’s father, and it was not a pleasant sight.

Shaking her head, Meg dragged herself out of her wandering thoughts. The priestess had just finished announcing her child to the masses, and Ruby beamed over at her as their child was carefully held up to the onlooking crowd. “Meet Lillith, the heir to the Flavokus Province!”

Then it was time for the people to bring up their blessings. For someone who wasn’t part of the noble families, this would involve family, friends, perhaps neighbors. For Meg and Ruby, it involved the whole of the city that could spare the time to be there. Every person chose a stone from the river or ocean, worn smooth by the water, and wrote a blessing on it, or a wish for the child’s future. Meg, Ruby, and a whole line of priests and priestesses accepted the stones, placing them in hand-blown jars to decorate the nursery and show the child as they aged how very loved they were.

Squinting, Meg thought she recognized the person who was backing away. The man winked, and she looked down to the stone in her hand. _Peace_.

Crowley. _Gamou!_

*****

The funeral had begun even before John’s body had arrived in Ophidai City. The mourning period for a king was long, even with the fact that the Queens still lived and would be taking over all his royal duties as well. Purple had shrouded the city for days before the King’s arrival in the capital, and now, with the casket having finally arrived, mourning was in full swing. 

Sam stared at the closed casket containing his father, stoically refusing to let the tears fall. There had been no need for a wake in this case, although they’d had one anyway. John’s body was burned nearly beyond recognition. Now it was time to put him in the ground, to return him to the dirt from which they sprang. 

It was hard to say goodbye to his father, and Sam couldn’t stand not knowing whether or not something could have been changed. His father was supposed to have been protected! He was the King, Veris damn it all. 

John had not necessarily been the most demonstrative of fathers, and Sam had spent more time fighting with him than he had enjoying his company. Sam hadn’t usually agreed with him about things. John was a driven man, a Cecropian on a mission to rid the world of the Agaranese, and now, Sam thought maybe he had the right idea. After all, anyone who could do this to his father didn’t deserve to live. This wasn’t warfare. This was murder, and Sam wouldn’t stand for it. 

The priest prayed over the body, committing John’s soul to the gods, to Veris to be weighed and measured and sent on to his glory. Then the casket, draped in purple, with violets and king’s mantle covering it, was lowered into the ground in the temple grounds. Adam sobbed quietly against Kate’s torso, while Mary moved forward to pour the first handful of dirt into the grave. Kate and Adam were next, and finally Sam, who poured in a second handful for Dean. The Keeper Of The Dead would fill in the rest of the grave that night, but for now the ceremony was complete. 

The city mourned, and Sam swore he’d get to the bottom of this. Something was going on, and he was determined to find out what.

*****

“What do you mean you’re going to the front lines, Sam?” Mary crossed her arms across her chest and glared at her middle son.

“Someone needs to take over control for my father,” Sam replied, “and Dean isn’t here to do it. So it’s my job.”

“And what am I? Nothing? Your mother and I always knew this was a possibility, son. We have contingency plans in place,” Mary said.

“With all due respect, Mom--” Sam began.

“Which is apparently none. Your mother and I are still alive and more than capable of running this country, Samuel.”

“Mom! Let me do this! I will not let Dad’s death go unavenged!” Sam shouted, then immediately backed down. No one yelled at the Queen, not even her son. “Sorry. Just. Please, Mom.”

Mary shook her head, rubbing her temples. “You’re going to do this whether or not I agree, aren’t you?”

It wasn’t really a question, and Sam didn’t answer, but they both knew the truth. 

“Fine. But first we need to talk about your little excursion. Are we going to have the Leviathan breathing down our necks after this now?” Mary asked.

“No.”

“I’m gonna need more than that, Samuel, or I will have you locked down and you won’t be going anywhere. I can play your little trip off as you making sure the Leviathan made it to the border, but only if you tell me the truth about what happened,” Mary said. “Do not lie to me, son.”

Sam sighed. “The Leviathan emissaries made it to the border and beyond safely. There’s… The attack wasn’t motivated by them. They were attacked by Agaranese soldiers near the edge of their territory, probably an attempt to kill them and blame it on us. Emissary Roman admitted that the attack was planned.”

“He what?” Mary said, angry. “And you didn’t drag him back here in chains?”

“I’m not entirely sure we would have made it back alive if we had,” Sam admitted. “There’s no way they would have survived the Agaranese ambush without our help, and Eileen and I are only so useful by ourselves. Once whoever sent them realized they’d failed, we’d have been facing nonstop attacks. It seemed like a better option to escort them across the border and let them go from there. At least then any attack wouldn’t be blamed on us.”

“How did the Agaranese mercenaries know where they were?” Mary asked, her eyes narrowing in suspicion.

“That’s the thing. Emissary Roman claims it’s the Enochians. He says that an Enochian Prince ordered Castiel’s assassination.”

Mary reared back in shock. “And this Prince sent the Agaranese soldiers after the emissaries so that they couldn’t inform on him?”

Sam nodded. “And so that we’d be embroiled in a war with Purgatorio.”

“Jody and Donna need to know this. How soon can you leave?”

“Eileen and I will leave in the morning.”

*****

Benny sat by Kelly’s bed, reading the message that Balthazar had been given by Hael from Princep Raphael. Benny had wrapped Kelly and the unnamed infant in black muslin. It wasn’t as good as linen, but it was what he had access to in Cecropia. He’d tucked lavendar and honeysuckle into the bindings, to help with the smell. Benny hadn’t been lying; the weather was cold enough to halt the decay for the most part. But unfortunately he was particularly sensitive to smells while pregnant, and so the flowers helped. He knew he’d likely have to unwrap her eventually, but for now…

The letter from Princep Raphael was not entirely surprising. Benny hadn’t expected that their ruse about Uriel would last forever. 

_Sirs Benny and Balthazar;_

_It has come to my attention that Uriel’s wounds do not match the story we were told about his death. This is unacceptable. Whatever the official story is, I must know the truth. Do not lie to me, and we can continue to work together. I expect a response as soon as possible with what happened._

_Princep Raphael_

Fortunately, Hester was in town, and would be able to get the message to Enochia within a day or two, along with other important royal news. But that meant Benny couldn’t put it off.

With a heavy sigh, sitting next to the bodies of his friend and her stillborn child, Benny began to write.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Gamou: Damn


	8. Chapter 8

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Idk, I just feel like posting a chapter today.

“So we want to fake a pregnancy, so that we can take in Kelly’s baby,” Dean said, grinning.

“Are… you sure, Castiel?” Raphael asked. “Your feelings towards child-bearing have never been particularly well-concealed.”

Cas nodded. “I know. And it will be unpleasant, but Kelly came to me for help. I cannot save her, but I can save her child. This is the only way I know to make sure the child stays with us.”

“All right,” Raphael said. “So you’ve explained that Cecropians lay eggs after two months of gestation, and those eggs take a full twelve months to hatch. It seems reasonable, then, that any child would take longer than our normal eight months to gestate. I believe we can suggest to Mother and Father that the child was conceived some time ago, and we only just realized it because we believed your cycles disrupted by the stress of the attack.”

“That seems reasonable,” Cas said.

“However, that does raise the question of how you plan to deal with the fact that this will be considered a single birth,” Raphael pointed out. “Will the Cecropians accept such a flaw?”

“...Single birth? You mean like one baby at a time? Aren’t all births one baby at a time?” Dean asked.

Raphael blinked at Dean and then sighed. “Well. That answers that question.”

“Wait. Are you telling me that you have a sibling that shared your mother’s womb? At the same time?” Dean asked, incredulously. 

“Of course,” Raphael said. “Nearly all of our births are multiples. Two is most common, to be honest, but three is not unheard of. Gabriel is my twin. Mother actually had Castiel and James so quickly after Anna because Anna’s twin was stillborn. The rumors flew through the city that Anna had been a single birth, something that we find an ill omen. Mother and Father decided to have another pregnancy to interrupt any rumors that Mother might be an unfit ruler.”

Cassie shook her head. “No wonder you have so many siblings, Cas. I had wondered how that was possible.”

“But why would a single birth be anything but cause for celebration? A child was born!” Dean still didn’t understand. Children were so important to Cecropians, the idea of being upset at only one child instead of two was startling.

“Because it indicates a lack of health on the part of the mother. A severe lack of health, at that. Even Kelly gave birth to two children, never mind that only one survived. It’s actually not that uncommon to lose one of the children in childbirth. The birthing process is difficult,” Raphael said. “However, when the Queen Mother’s child doesn’t survive, rumors fly that perhaps she is no longer fit to rule. It’s an old, outdated way of thinking, but it survives to this day.”

“Will it matter to the Enochians that Cas only has a single child?” Cassie asked.

“The fact that he is able to have a child with a Cecropian at all will be considered a miracle. Since your people do not appear to have twins or triplets at all, I think Gabriel and I can find ways to influence the people’s minds in this. Besides,” Raphael said, “Castiel’s child will not be in line for the Enochian throne, nor will they be an influence on Enochia. This child will be Dean’s firstborn child, and thus in line for the Cecropian throne. To that extent, it does not matter what the Enochians think of the birth, so long as they believe that e belongs to Castiel.”

“So what do we do first?” Cassie asked.

“First, we need to announce to Mother and Father the good news. And then I will be sending my most trusted, skilled medic to Cecropia, to ‘learn the ways of Cecropia medicine.’ While Inias is there, his job will be to take care of the child and make sure they survive,” Raphael said. “Are you prepared for this, Castiel?”

“I am.”

“Then let us begin.”

*****

Naomi was ecstatic, if a bit confused. “You’re pregnant? Our first grandbaby is on the way? Oh Ealde, that is such very good news!”

“Yes mother. Dean and I are excited as well,” Cas said, holding his husband’s hand. Dean had lowered himself to be roughly the same height as Castiel for this, and Naomi shot him a glance that seemed to war with itself.

“Oh Dean. You must be so pleased. Is it your first child?” Naomi could quite help the dig. 

“Of course. Castiel is my first spouse.”

“_First_. Right. Well, I suppose it never was a love match,” Naomi muttered.

“_Mother_.” 

“Right, right. I’m sorry dear. This is such excellent news, I shouldn’t be bringing my… other concerns into it,” Naomi said, still watching Dean from the corner of her eyes. “Have you any idea what you will call the child?”

“_When_ Dean and I take on another spouse, Mother, it will be a mutual decision,” Cas said, and Naomi saw Dean’s eyes widen at that before the Cecropian smiled. “And we haven’t decided yet. I have a preference for Zadkiel, but Dean thinks it’s too stuffy.”

“That name is bigger than the kid is!” Dean said, and Naomi laughed.

“You’ll figure it out,” she said with a smile. “A name is important, after all. So what can we do to make you more comfortable? As far along as you are, I’m sure you’re having some… well, some discomfort. I have some winter bloom tea that should help. I’m sure Raphael has offered some to you as well, but… Oh, and the baby will need clothing. Are you sure it’s only one? Perhaps you should plan for a second, just in case you are pleasantly surprised. How far along are you? Oh, there is so much to prepare!”

Naomi didn’t bother to wait for answers, as she was too excited. She had a baby or two to plan for. Her first grandbaby!

*****

Metatron was busy writing again. This time, his pamphlets and stories had a different bend to them. He wrote stories of Enochian betrayals, of false love and fatal attraction, stories meant for Cecropian eyes. And he wrote stories of Cecropian deceit, disloyalty, and duplicity, stories meant for Enochian eyes. With a smile, he released those stories into the wild, excited to see what they would come back to him as.

*****

Raphael read the account Benny had sent him of Uriel’s death, Hannah’s notes spread out as e compared them to the letter. Er first conclusion was that Benny had to be Agaranese. That was something e hadn’t realized when he’d been speaking to Benny and Balthazar before. Raphael had not known how diverse the capital of the Cecropian empire really was. Having grown up with only Enochians around, it was startling to think that Dean had been living with an Agaranese person in his midst. Did he grow up with Benny? Was there a whole family of Agaranese people living there? A whole tribe? It was something to consider.

Er second conclusion was that Benny was telling the truth. Uriel had left his defensive equipment behind, not expecting a fight. If he had expected to be able to get the Princess alone and slaughter her in secret, he wouldn’t have bothered with his shield. The Princess was not a warrior, and Uriel had trained from birth. It would have been no contest.

Raphael still had questions. There were still things that didn’t make sense, but they were questions that, assuming Benny was telling the truth, Benny would not be able to answer anyway. Why did Uriel want the princess dead? _Did_ Uriel want the princess dead or was he taking her to someone else who did? Who was Uriel working for, and why?

It was a lot to take in, but Raphael was nothing if not a logical Enochian. Benny’s story matched Hannah’s notes, and that was the most important thing. So if Benny was telling the truth about how Uriel died, was willing to go so far as to implicate himself in the process, then he must be telling the truth about most if not all of it. It also corresponded with Kelly’s fear of someone here in Enochia. If someone were after her, and Uriel was cooperating with them…

It gave Raphael something to look into. Lucifer was a suspicious man, and watching him was difficult. But finding connections to Uriel would be much easier. 

It was time to talk to Gabriel.

*****

Dean looked down at the letter in his hands, choking back tears. Cas was there, his hand covering Dean’s shaking ones.

“Dean? What’s wrong?” Cas asked. Dean handed the letter over to Cas, gesturing that Cassie could read it as well. The two huddled together to read.

Cas was the first to look up, letting Cassie take the letter. “Oh no. Oh Dean.”

“Long live the Queens,” Cassie said, kissing her fingers and touching them to her hip. Then she turned to Dean. “I’m so sorry, Dean.”

Together Cas and Cassie curled around Dean as he sobbed into their shoulders. When he finally calmed enough to speak, he gave them a watery smile.

“I guess it’s a good thing we already have an heir to the throne, huh, babe?”


	9. Chapter 9

Lucifer sat in his receiving area and glared at the other Enochian kneeling before him. Asmodeus was a sniveling yes-man, but he was loyal, and that was the important part. However, the fact that he was bringing bad news still made Lucifer want to throw a glass at him. 

“What do you mean the Leviathan aren’t dead? I _ordered_ that they be killed on Cecropian land.”

“They had an unexpected Cecropian escort. It seems that someone anticipated our plans,” Asmodeus said, head bowed. Lucifer finally gave in and pitched his glass of ale at the floor beside Asmodeus. It shattered, and the Enochian lieutenant flinched at the sound.

“Gesceap!” Lucifer threw himself to his feet and began pacing the floor. “Well, I _suppose_ it will be alright. After all, who will listen to a _Leviathan_ about matters like this? What about my wife? Any news?”

“Nothing, my lord.”

“Gesceap it all… Please tell me we will at least have the Agaranese mercenaries in place for the coup,” Lucifer said. He couldn’t afford to throw any of his supporters away right now, not when loyal servants meant the difference between success and failure. He swore, though, that once he was King, the incompetent idiots would be the first ones he ground beneath his heel.

“Yes, my lord. We’ve been able to secure strategic buildings around the city. We’re moving slowly, but we’ve managed to sneak in nearly half of the soldiers from the outer city barracks into the city and into hiding,” Asmodeus said. “By spring, all of them should be in place, and we can use molting season to our advantage.”

“Good. Hopefully my _brother_ and his knot-tail husband will be too distracted by their miracle baby to interfere. Do make sure my congratulations on the little one are sent along. Wouldn’t want to raise suspicions.”

“Yes, my lord.”

*****

With Lady Abaddon’s support, Rowena stood before The Court. Nearly of the nobles in charge of the Thirty-Six Provinces or their representatives sat around the room, lounging on the cushions and being waited on by servants. 

Lady Abaddon had been alarmed by the machinations of Alastair. As one of the other larger provinces, one that also shared a border with Cecropia, Lady Abaddon and her people were closely affected by the actions of Alastair. Cecropia did not differentiate between the different provinces, a fact that had caused Lady Abaddon grief more than once. She had no real dispute with Cecropia, except when they retaliated against her for something that Alastair had done. 

Bringing all of Agares into a war with Cecropia was _not_ in Lady Abaddon’s best interests, nor in the interests of her people. She had been very interested to hear what Rowena had to say.

“My fellow noblepeople, I come before you today with a grave concern,” Rowena said. “One of our own has allied with a traitorous Enochian prince, with designs to start a full-on war against Cecropia.”

“Who told you that?” Azazel asked loudly, sitting up straight.

“What does it matter of my sources to you, Advisor?” Rowena replied.

“It matters greatly when we cannot trust your sources,” Azazel said.

“Let the Council Member finish, Advisor,” Lady Abaddon said. “I have heard her words and will vouch for her sources.”

Azazel sat back, discontent written across his face. His tail lashed back in forth in anger at the interruption. Rowena smiled sweetly, bowing to Lady Abaddon.

“Thank you, Council Member. As I was saying, one of our own has designs on starting a full-fledged war with Cecropia, one we cannot hope to win,” Rowena said. Azazel started to interrupt again, but was hushed by another council member this time. He was showing his hand too soon, and it would not go well for him if he could not keep his temper. 

“This person has already staged an attack on King John of Cecropia and Prince Michael of Enochia. Latest news says that King John lies dead, and Prince Michael is gravely injured,” Rowena said.

“But what should that have to do with us?” asked a senior member of the Council. “Surely such things happen in skirmishes.”

Lady Abaddon stood at that. “This was no skirmish. Our sources tell us that this was an attack perpetrated by an Enochian, staged to look as though it were done by the Agaranese. We have no bone in this fight, and yet this person is working with the Enochians to make it appear as though we do.”

“False! The attack was made by an Agaranese soldier!” Azazel screeched, leaping to his feet.

“How do you know such a thing, Advisor?” one of the council members asked.

“Because she is trying to slander the good name of the Flavoklus Province!” Azazel said angrily.

“I do not recall the Lady Rowena mentioning the Flavoklus Province at all in this matter,” Lady Abaddon said sweetly. “How do you know that her words were discussing your province at all?”

Azazel sputtered and stuttered, trying to come up with a response. The council leader, currently Lord Baal, sighed. “Advisor, please sit down. It seems we have much to discuss. Lady Rowena, you may continue, and the advisor from the Flavoklus Province will remain silent while you do so.”

“Thank you, Lord Baal,” Rowena said, and began to explain what she knew.

*****

Gabriel sighed as he carried Kelly’s body and that of her stillborn infant through the woods. This was not the ending he had hoped for his sister-in-law, and he wished he could go back and change how he’d handled things. If he’d known, he’d have offered her sanctuary closer to home, where she could have had her children in safety. He wished he could have done more to make her trust him. He wished…

Well, he wished a lot of things, and it didn’t much matter, because it didn’t change the outcome of what had happened at all now. Instead, he and Raphael had conspired to have Kelly’s body brought in secret to the border, and now he was placing it along the road, close enough to be noticed in short order. If they didn’t get word in a day, he would send someone along that route himself with word that something had been noticed on the side of the road. 

It wasn’t what he’d wished for his sister-in-law, but it was what had happened, and he would make damn sure that she returned home as soon as possible. Her family deserved to mourn her.

And whatever Lucifer had done to make his wife refuse to stay with him, well. Gabriel would make sure he paid for that, too.

*****

It would take Sam and Eileen and their honor guard over a week to get down to the front lines, so Sam spent some time packing for the trip. Sam knew his mother would rather he not be involved. Sam also didn’t care. His brother was neck deep in this through no choice of his own. Sam wouldn’t sit by when he could be doing something.

Eileen wasn’t entirely pleased with the situation either, but she agreed to follow Sam wherever he went. It wasn’t strictly necessary; Eileen wasn’t royalty (not until she married Sam, anyway). But her skills would be useful on the front lines. And, as she put it, going with him meant she could watch his sometimes stupid backside. 

It wasn’t that she honestly thought him stupid, Sam knew. But she did think going to the front lines and avenging his father’s death was kind of dumb. Mary and Kate were both better suited to going than him, with more experience with the Agaranese in wartime than he had. But he’d successfully argued that he should go, and now he had to back his words up with action.

He wasn’t scared. With Eileen to watch his back, and the generals by his side, he knew he’d be safe. Security would be tighter after the attack on King John. Anyway, he’d rather he face that danger than his mothers. Mary and Kate had already lost one spouse. He couldn’t imagine either one of them alone.

Sam just knew he had to do something, and this was his best option. Eileen sighed and followed his lead. Given everything, he couldn’t ask for a better partner.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Gesceap: Damn (Enochian)


	10. Chapter 10

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> On the down side, I have to work all weekend. On the plus side, overtime and plenty of opportunity to post. I DO NOT PROMISE I WILL CONTINUE POSTING THIS QUICKLY but I finally managed to go through and format everything to be ready to post, so it's gone from being an overwhelming thing to a manageable in a couple of minutes thing.

Joshua pulled his wife against his body as they read the letter from General Cain on the front lines again. Naomi was trembling, though with anger or grief it was hard to tell. Probably both, knowing his wife. Joshua wanted to hit something himself. This wasn’t supposed to have been a particularly dangerous assignment. It was supposed to have been more about learning than truly experiencing danger.

That being said, even the cushiest military assignment had an element of danger to it, and they’d known that when they’d sent their sons down to the front lines. Joshua was grateful that only Michael had been at the front lines. The attack on the royal tent could have taken out both his oldest sons, and Joshua was not sure he could have handled that.

On the other hand, the fact that Michael was being stubborn and refusing to go into torpid made Joshua want to fly down to the front lines and force his son into torpid himself. Joshua was usually a peaceful man, but this frustrated him. Michael needed to come home, first of all. It wouldn’t be terribly difficult to have a small contingent of soldiers carry and escort him home. With their fragile peace with the Cecropians restored, there would be no problem flying over Cecropian land. 

But Michael didn’t want to be vulnerable, apparently, and he wanted vengeance for the attack. Joshua understood that, but he wanted his son home. It terrified him that his son could die so far from home, without the expert medical attention that home provided. 

Naomi finally started to cry, her tears falling on the page, and Joshua set it aside, gathering his wife close to him. For now, they would wait and trust that Michael and Cain could take care of each other, but if it came down to it, Joshua would go to the front lines himself and drag his son back. 

*****

Gadreel sat next to his healing Prince, gently holding his hand as he spoke. 

“Will you _please_ go into torpid, my Prince?”

“Will you call me Michael?”

Gadreel grimaced. “That wouldn’t be appropriate.”

“Telling me you loved me when you thought I was sleeping wasn’t appropriate,” Michael said. “At least tell a man that when he’s awake.”

Blushing, Gadreel glared at Michael. Michael just smiled, lifting a hand to run a finger along Gadreel’s cheek. “I will not miss a moment I have to be with you. You know this all ends when I go home. Let me have this.”

“Stubborn feather brain.”

“Takes one to know one.”

*****

Kelly’s body only took a few hours to be ‘discovered’ and it was brought back to the castle immediately. Raphael examined her body himself, and found to his relief that it was very clear that Kelly had died in childbirth, and that everything had been done correctly to attempt to save her. It was still a frustrating, unnecessary death. Raphael was fairly sure that if she’d had proper medical attention… But for a layman, clearly she had been well-cared for. It strengthened Raphael’s decision that Benny was trustworthy, even if he was apparently Agaranese. 

Because she had not been a warrior, nor had died in battle, Kelly’s body was not laid out for a wake. The fact that she’d been dead for some time also contributed to that. Without the extenuating circumstances of Uriel’s death, it was up to Kelly’s family and husband to decide whether to make a big production of it or not.

Lucifer had decided to have a quiet funeral, with just family and close friends. Raphael would normally approve of that decision, but in this case he couldn’t help but be suspicious. There was no way it was done just out of respect for Kelly, not with everything that was going on. Nevertheless, it was the right decision, and Raphael was honored to pay his respects to Kelly.

The funeral was held at the temple, Ealde looking over her daughter. Kelly was wrapped in white, her infant wrapped and laid on her chest. Herbs were tucked into the folds of the fabric to help keep away the smell of decay. It was always hard when a mother died in childbirth, and it was especially bad when it was a member of the royal family. The fact that she was not at home at the time was suspicious. Raphael knew somewhat the reason, knew of her fear, but no one else did. 

Once the funeral was over, Raphael watched as the priests gathered the bodies. They would be taken to the pillars, unwrapped, and prepared for the wild. With any luck, only bones would be left. Kelly was a good person, after all, from what little Lucifer had allowed her to be out. Ealde would bless her and her child greatly. 

*****

Lucifer’s chair flew across the room. This was the _worst_ thing that could happen. Kelly’s death cast him in shame and suspicion, something Lucifer absolutely couldn’t afford right now. He’d have to postpone his plans until after the mourning period was over, or he would never be able to gather followers to him. That meant _six months_ of waiting for the right time, which was at least three months longer than he’d wanted to wait.

Worse, Lucifer couldn’t figure out why she was out in the middle of nowhere. She had apparently holed up nearby where she was found, in a cabin on her family’s land, but her family claimed to have no knowledge that she was there. Either they were lying, or she had been hiding from everyone. But _why_?

It drove him absolutely insane. Hiding away, hiding a _pregnancy_ like that was dangerous. It could be deadly, clearly _had been_ deadly. So now, instead of having a child to help cement the love of the people for him, he had a dead wife and stillborn infant.

And the most annoying part was that Kelly had only had _one_ child. If she had at least died with two children, Lucifer could gain the sympathies of the people that way. But a single birth was suspicious, potentially signifying a curse, and Lucifer was stuck. He couldn’t use a single stillborn to his advantage, and so instead, he had to wait. He had to wait, and plot, and make the most of this time so that he could hopefully still win the hearts of the people.

It was the most _frustrating_ thing.

*****

"Do you _have_ to go, Sam?" Adam whined. He would never have admitted, not in a thousand years, that he was whining, but he knew that was what he was doing.

"Sorry buddy. You know I have to go. I'll be back soon," Sam said, and gestured for Adam to move out of his way.

Adam couldn't help being afraid. Dad was only just recently placed in the ground, and that was scary enough. The idea that he'd never see his dad again… Adam wanted to cry again. 

He'd been doing a lot of that recently, to be honest. Adam had thought Dad was invincible, that nothing could touch his father. Finding out he was wrong was the hardest thing Adam had ever faced. And what if Dean didn't come back? Sam was going to the war zone now too. What if Sam didn't return? Adam didn't want to lose his whole family.

And Sam was scared too. Sam didn't say that, but Adam could tell. He'd watched his brother for years, and it was easy to see when he got really scared. He stopped talking or smiling as much, stopped making jokes and laughing with Adam. It wasn't fair that Sam had to go away when he was so scared. Mom and Mama should make him stay at home.

Mom and Mama didn't have as much time for him either. There was the funeral to prepare for and orchestrate, and the Enochians to deal with, and Sam had run away, and then he'd come back with secret news he wouldn't tell Adam, and there were other secrets. And no one would tell Adam anything, probably because they didn't want to scare him, but all the secrets scared him more.

When Sam shooed Adam out of his room, with promises he wouldn't leave without saying goodbye, Adam was left at loose ends. He couldn't go bother his moms. They were busy with other things again, and had already sent him away once today. Eileen was with Sam, and Dean and Cas were gone. So Adam headed for Bobby's quarters. 

*****

Bobby and Karen had eaten only two days before, and were still resting in their quarters for another day before getting up. Adam knew that Bobby knew some of what was going on, maybe all of it, but he also knew that he wouldn't tell Adam anything. But he probably would be willing to rest with Adam, and that was the important thing.

"Uncle Bobby?"

"In here, kid," came the response from the bedroom, and Adam made his way to the curtained off area that separated the bed from the rest of the room.

"Can I stay here with you guys for a while?"

Bobby leaned back in the cushions and gestured for Adam to join them. Adam climbed in and wiggled his way in between Bobby and Karen, twining around them both.

"Are you okay, Adam?" Karen asked. "What can we do?"

Adam burst into tears. "Sam's leaving, a-and I'm afraid he's gonna die like Dad did!"

"Oh, boy," Bobby murmured and gathered Adam up into his arms. "Oh, kid. C'mere."

Burying his face in Uncle Bobby's chest, Adam sobbed out all his fears and anxieties. Bobby just rubbed his back, muttering words that Adam barely understood but that somehow made him feel better anyway. He felt Aunt Karen at his back, heard her whispering things to him, and then to Bobby. 

And then Aunt Ellen was there too, holding a glass of ale and a hunk of bread and cheese. Adam's favorite snack. As a growing boy, he ate more often than the adults in his life, and this was what he always asked for. 

"Hey, baby. Eat up, okay? You'll feel better," Ellen said.

Taking a stuttering breath, Adam nodded, turning so that he was still in Bobby's arms but could eat and drink. Ellen smiled and rubbed his tail gently as he ate.

"You better not get crumbs in my bed, kid," Bobby muttered, and Adam chuckled a watery laugh.

"Yes, Uncle Bobby," he said. Karen kissed him on the cheek and smiled.

"You get all the crumbs you want in the bed. That's what housekeeping is for. Don't listen to this old grump," Ellen said.

"Excuse me if I don't like laying in breadcrumbs!" Bobby exclaimed, and the women chuckled.

Adam knew they were trying to make him feel better, and he couldn't help smiling. It helped.

"Don't let it get that bad before you come a'knocking next time, kid," Bobby said. "We're all scared. The girls and I haven't heard word about Bill yet either. It's a big scary thing, war is, and this is the most serious it's been in years. We can all use a good Adam-cuddle okay? You ain't bothering us if you need a hug."

"Yes, Uncle Bobby. Can I… Can I stay here tonight?"

Ellen, Karen, and Bobby shared a glance. 

"That would be fine, Adam," Karen said. "Just make sure you let your mothers know before you do. They worry too."

"I know. I just thought… Maybe if I stayed here, they wouldn't have as much to worry about," Adam said. "I think I just get in the way."

"Oh, son," Bobby said. "Sometimes adults get busy with our own things, but that doesn't mean we don't care. You come to me whenever you want, okay? But don't you think your mamas don't care."

"Okay," Adam said quietly, burying his face back against Bobby. Bobby rubbed his back soothingly, and it wasn't long before Adam fell asleep. He didn't see the looks shared by the adults, or the fear they all held for their loved ones.

It was probably better that way.


	11. Chapter 11

Dean was heading down the hallway toward the kitchen when he spotted Cas. Which was weird, because he had just left Cas back in their bed chambers, which were in the opposite direction.

"Hey! Hey what are you doing here?" Dean asked, moving up alongside Cas and grinning. He was confused, but he always liked to see Cas. 

Cas squinted at him, cocking his head to one side. "I'm sorry, can I help you?"

"Dude, if you'd wanted a snack all you had to do was ask. You knew I was headed that direction," Dean said. "Come on, I'll go with you."

"...Prince Dean?" Cas asked, and Dean grinned.

"You haven't called me that in months. What's the occasion? Something I should know?"

"Ah," Cas said, realization dawning across his face as he walked beside Dean. "I know what the confusion is now. I don't suppose you'll believe me when I tell you I'm not Castiel?"

"Nope!" Dean said with a grin. "I know what my husband looks like."

"Couldn't have been that easy. I knew it," Cas said. "How about we go back to your-- to our rooms? I have something I think you need to see. Besides, it would be nice to see my brother."

"Can I get my ale first?"

Cas laughed. "Sure. In fact, let's go get snacks for everyone."

"You got a cold or something, Cas?"

"Or something, I think."

*****

Dean stopped dead in his track when he opened the door to the chambers he shared with Cas and Cassie. There, sitting on Cassie's tail, was Cas. But Cas was also standing right beside him. He looked at the man holding a tray of food and grinning widely, then to Cas, and then back. 

"The fuck?!"

Cas looked up just as the man who looked just like Cas squeezed past Dean and through the door.

"James!" Cas said, standing up. Not-Cas set the tray down on the nearest table and grinned as he walked forward.

The two men embraced, while Cassie and Dean stared in disbelief.

"Cas," Cassie said slowly. "Why are there two of you?"

Dean moved inside the door and shut it behind himself with his tail. "Yeah uh. I got some questions."

Not-Cas pulled away first. "Castiel, it's been too long. And I thought I told you to call me Jimmy."

Cas smiled. "Very well. Jimmy, this is Cassie, a close friend, and Dean, my husband. Dean, Cassie, this is my brother Jimmy. He's my womb mate."

Jimmy grinned. "Dean and I met already. I figured when a giant Cecropian came up to me thinking I was you here in the castle, I had a fifty-fifty chance of being right. I found him heading for the kitchen. We brought snacks!"

Laughing, Cas grabbed the tray and settled back against Cassie. Dean moved to her side, taking Cas's legs across his tail and twining together with Cassie. "Cas, I'm gonna need more of an explanation than that. He looks exactly like you."

"Not quite," Cas said. "Jimmy isn't fernan, first of all."

"...okay, but he still looks just like you."

Jimmy grinned. "That's because you can't tell the difference between Enochians. We're not really identical twins. But we do look awfully similar, I'll give you that."

"Twins? Raphael said something about that. He and Gabriel are twins, right?" Cassie asked. "They look nothing alike."

"Yeah, well. You know how sometimes two brothers can look a lot alike and sometimes it's like you wondered where that sibling came from?" Jimmy said. "Same thing. Sometimes twins can look like polar opposites, and other times they look nearly identical."

Dean nodded slowly. "That's… terrifying."

Cas and Jimmy shared a look and began to laugh. Cassie and Dean just stared.

"Anyway, brother," Jimmy said. "Besides scaring your Cecropian spouses, I actually dropped by because I hear congratulations are in order."

With a soft smile, Cas nodded. "We're not sure when to expect them, but with any luck by springtime we'll have a baby to add to the family."

"Hey, whoa, wait a second. Cassie isn't a spouse," Dean said.

"Isn't she?" Jimmy asked with a wink. "My mistake. Might look into adding her to the family then. Looks like she fits right in."

Cassie was blushing bright red as Cas nodded. "We will take that under advisement, brother. For now, we welcome you to share in our good news."

"To the growing family!" Jimmy said, passing out drinks. "Cas, I got you some warm milk with honey. Thought that might be easier on the stomach than ale."

"Oh thank Ealdra," Cas said, taking his glass. "Mother has been making me drink winter bloom tea nonstop, and I don't know how to tell her I hate it."

"Welcome to pregnancy, brother. Mother is only going to get more overbearing. I'll see what I can do about getting her off your back, though. If nothing else, maybe I can convince her of the milk and honey trick. Just wait until the cravings hit."

Cas groaned. "Don't remind me."

Jimmy just laughed.

*****

Cassie finished packing her things and sighed. In the morning, she and Inias and a small contingent of guards would be leaving for Cecropia. She wasn’t sure how she felt about that, but she knew it was important to go. Dean was as healed as he was going to get without a shed. He didn’t need any more medical help that Raphael couldn’t handle. More importantly, she was one of only two Cecropians that Naomi and Joshua personally felt comfortable having in their home, and that was important. 

There was only one way Cas, Dean, Cassie, and Raphael had thought of that seemed plausible to get the baby back into Enochia. Of course, Inias might be able to bring the child in, but there was no guarantee that Inias wouldn’t be questioned by the Cecropian authorities when he showed up with a large basket. 

Cassie, on the other hand, was a well-known trader and would not be questioned by her own people. With a letter of transit from Princep Raphael emself, no Enochian would question her either. So Cassie’s job, what she was being given the highest trust to do, was to get Inias to the child, send back word, and when the child was safe to travel, bring the child back for Castiel to ‘birth.’

It was no little feat, and there were a lot of things that could go wrong. 

Inias was tasked with taking care of the child, with the help of Balthazar. Balthazar’s plan, then, was that he, as the supposed father of Benny’s baby (something Dean had nearly choked to death laughing about) wanted to bring in a birthing specialist from his own species. On the Enochian side, Inias was there to officially learn more about Cecropian biology and anatomy, to share knowledge and help teach both cultures about each other. Raphael hoped that in due time, e erself could actually go and do that, for real. For now, though, it would be Inias’s job.

The queens were unaware that Kelly had had two children. Everyone had agreed that it would be easier to pass off the infant as Cas’s if fewer people knew the truth. Dean had been the most reluctant, but even he had accepted that this was one secret he couldn’t tell his mothers.

So it was up to Cassie to be in charge of the most important part of this adoption: Keeping the child alive and getting them to Enochia when the time was right. It was the highest of honors, and yet it still made Cassie sad to leave. Something had been growing in the time she’d been with Dean and Cas, and she couldn’t help but wish she could stay to see what it would become.

“All right, guys,” Cassie said. “I’m all ready to go in the morning.”

Dean sighed. “I wish there was another way. I don’t like you traveling in this cold.”

“Unlike you, I packed plenty of winter clothing when I came up here,” Cassie said. “With that and what the Wool Guild provided, I’ll be fine. Prince Gabriel has a cart that will take me to the border, and the rest will be easy.”

“I know. I just don’t like it.” Dean pouted, crossing his arms over his chest before sighing again and rubbing the back of his neck. “You’ll be back soon, right?”

“It depends on the child,” Cassie said. 

Cas reached up and pulled Cassie down into a hug. He had always been the more affectionate of the three, his culture definitely playing a part in that. Cassie and Dean had been surprised with how very affectionate all of the Enochians were. But Cas was even more so, at least with the two Cecropians. 

“What he means to say is, hurry back soon. We’ll miss you,” Cas said.

Dean grumbled behind Cas, but then came up and twined himself around the two of them. “Yeah, okay. _Maybe_ that’s what I meant to say.”

Cassie chuckled, and held onto the two men in her life for all she was worth. Maybe whatever it was that was happening between them wouldn’t disappear just because she went back to Cecropia for a time. Maybe there was more to it than just proximity.

“I’ll miss you guys too,” she said.

Maybe…

*****

The trip back to Ophidai City took well over a week, due to the snows. The carriage started as a sled, creaking under the weight of Cassie and Inias. Their luggage and entourage followed in a second carriage, since Cassie took up so much room. It was uncomfortable for both of them, but they were able to find ways to pass the time. By the time the carriage they were in reached the border, there was no longer enough snow for the sled skids to work, so they had to pull into Haefenton long enough to switch to wheels. 

Cassie was fascinated by the change. Because Cecropians were largely their own pack animals and had a lot of leverage, they didn’t tend to use wheels but skids, assuming they didn’t simply carry their goods. Having a carriage that used both was extremely interesting, and Cassie was already contemplating how her trading team might incorporate such things themselves. 

Once they got into Ophidai City, Cassie was immediately called before the queens. Balthazar took charge of Inias, bundling him off to Benny while she was busy. 

Cassie bowed low to the queens, waiting until they acknowledged her before rising. She might be on familiar terms with their sons, possibly more, but that didn’t mean that she could do the same with the ruling queens. “My Queens, I bring news of your sons.”

Queen Mary leaned forward. “No need to stand on ceremony for that, Cassie. Please, tell us about Dean and Castiel. How are they doing? Are they healing well?”

Grinning, Cassie nodded. “They have healed well. Dea-- Prince Dean still needs a full shed to completely heal, but he wasn’t comfortable doing that in Enochia right now. He’s moving around nicely though.”

“And Castiel? How is he?”

“Prince Castiel has healed completely, according to Princep Raphael. The poison did no lasting damage.”

Both queens sighed in relief. They had gotten this news from their sons, of course. Cassie knew that for a fact. But there was a difference between getting the news from a family member who doesn’t want them to worry, and getting the news from a third party. 

“There is more news, my queens. Good news that the princes asked me to bring to you in person,” Cassie said.

“Oh?” Queen Kate asked. “Do tell.”

“The princes are expecting their first child. Prince Castiel is pregnant.”

The queens both gasped loudly in happy surprise.


	12. Chapter 12

While Cassie was getting interrogated about the new royal baby, Balthazar got Inias to Benny’s house. Inias was hesitant, to be sure, about spending time alone with an Agaranese man, but that had been his assignment, and besides, there was a baby involved.

“Welcome, bonam,” Benny said as they landed on his porch. “Come on in.” 

Inias stepped into the home and looked around. It was small, but cozy, with plenty of seating and a rolling bassinet in a corner. “Thank you for allowing me into your home.”

Benny laughed. “My home is your home, at least until Zadkiel is off to their new parents.”

Nodding, Inias stepped towards the bassinet. “Is that the child?”

“That’d be them. They’re a quiet little thing,” Benny said, as Inias went to go check the baby over. “I’ve been feeding them sheep’s milk. Are all your babies so little?”

Inias nodded again. “Zadkiel seems average in size, yes. Sheep’s milk was a good idea. Babies this young are still nursing.”

“That’s what I’d told him. Trust me,” Balthazar said, “it was difficult finding a bottle and nipple around here, but we managed.”

“Good,” Inias said, lifting the child out of the bassinet. “Weight is good. Er right wing seems a little off, but it’s possible that will go away with time. It would be best if we could get a wet nurse for er, but I don’t think that’s terribly likely to happen.”

Balthazar shook his head. “I’m not sure how we would do that without the potential of revealing our secret.”

“Will you nurse your own child?” Inias asked, turning to Benny.

Benny shook his head. “If’n by nurse you mean feed the baby only liquid like this one needs, no. Our babies uh… Come out a bit more developed. My baby will be on their feet in a few hours, eating solid food by the end of the day. We don’t really have quite as much to do with babies, it seems.”

Inias sighed. “Then sheep’s milk will have to do. We’ll need a steady supply for at least the next two months, and then… Zadkiel? Zadkiel will be able to move to solid foods. We’ll wean er a little early, honestly, but since Castiel can’t nurse er, it’s for the best.”

“Sheep’s milk is no problem. Benny’s pregnancy is well known, and we’ve been telling people that sheep’s milk and ginger settles the stomach,” Balthazar said with a grin.

“Please tell me you haven’t been feeding the child ginger,” Inias said, suddenly worried.

“Of course not,” Benny said. “Ginger really does help settle my stomach, though, so we get’m separately and just tell people we’re combining them.”

“Very good,” Inias said with a sigh of relief. “All right. Let me finish my checkup of the child, and then we can discuss what needs to be done to keep er healthy.”

Benny and Balthazar nodded, and Inias began to undress the child.

*****

When Sam and Eileen arrived at the front lines, tensions were high. It wasn’t particularly surprising, to be honest, given what had occurred. Prince Michael was still in the medical tent recovering from smoke inhalation and burns, and until Sam showed up there had been no royal presence for the Cecropians at all. 

A cheer went up as Sam moved through the tent, his people happy to finally have royal representation again. It wasn’t really necessary; Generals Jody and Donna knew their business. Frankly, they knew what they were doing better than Sam did, and probably better than King John had. But it made the people feel better to know that their royal family was willing to make the same sacrifices they were, so having Sam there was important.

Making the same sacrifices didn’t really mean they wanted their royalty to suffer the same losses though. King John’s death had been a stark reminder that their king was in the same danger as them, and the people had taken it hard. Having Sam arrive boosted morale, and that was the most important thing.

When they got to the Generals’ tent, Sam went right in, Eileen following behind him. Once inside, he called for Jody and Donna, who both came out from the private area in the back where they slept.

“Sam! It’s so good to see you,” Jody said, wrapping him in a hug. Donna did the same thing, and then they settled around the war table, all four of them.

“How are things down here?” Sam asked. 

“About as well as can be expected. There’s some suspicion still on both sides that this was an inside job, and frankly I’m not sure it wasn’t,” Jody said, signing along with her words. “We’ve seen no sign of Agaranese interlopers here, beyond some suspiciously obviously placed weapons.”

“It don’t make sense,” Donna added. “There are no tracks, and you know Agaranese tracks are distinct, what with them having two legs _and_ a tail. Just weapons and a pair of pants with a tail-hole. Who takes off their pants to set a fire?”

Eileen blinked. “That’s extremely odd. Disrobing to start a fire seems more likely to result in injury.”

“Right,” Jody said. “That’s what we thought."

“Do you have any other reason to suspect an inside job?” Sam asked. 

“Well… Now your father didn’t know this. You know how your father was, Sam,” Jody said, holding a hand up to forestall the arguments Sam was ready to make. “He was stubborn and bull-headed, and sometimes it was easier to work around him than it was to work with him.”

With a sigh, Sam nodded. Jody continued, “We got a message in from the Agaranese a while ago. Apparently, someone on the Enochian side has been conferring with some of the Agaranese people. We’re not sure who, but we knew an attack was planned. We just didn’t realize it wouldn’t involve sneaking an Agaranese soldier in to do the deed.”

“Where is your informant now?” Eileen asked.

“We’ve sent word along the channels he provided. Word came back a few days ago that they were not behind the attacks,” Donna said. “They know who is, but need more time to flush him out.”

“Have they offered any solutions for our end? And how trustworthy is this informant?” Sam asked.

“Well, given that everything he’s told us so far has lined up with information we’ve already had or information we’ve acquired since, I’d say he’s fairly trustworthy. That being said, he is an informant,” Donna said.

“As far as solutions, no. We know an Enochian prince is involved, but we’re not sure which one it is. We suspect we know which Agaranese leader is involved, just because we always have troubles with the same one,” Jody said. 

“I can tell you which Enochian it is,” Sam said. “That information came to us through… Well, not necessarily a particularly trustworthy source, but one that I don’t think was lying to us.”

“Especially not after this,” Eileen added.

Jody and Donna shared a look. “I think General Cain should be here for this. Do you mind if we send for him?”

“Not at all.”

*****

Meg had worked out a more reliable system with Crowley than simply waiting for Crowley to show up and demand information. Meg owned several colorful parrots, some of which she had secretly trained in her younger years to carry messages back and forth. The birds were smart, and once they had been to a place once they were able to return regularly. Crowley had taken a blue and yellow one with him to his home in the MacLeod Province and, after a week or so of caring for it, had sent it back to Meg. Now that it knew the way, she could send it back.

Meg wasn’t entirely happy with this solution, but it was better than any alternative she could come up with. And really, her father had never figured out all the boyfriends and girlfriends she’d communicated with using the birds when she was younger. He rarely paid attention to her unless he needed her for something. It wasn’t likely he’d figure it out now. Her mother, were she still alive, had been the one Meg had needed to hide things from, but Mother had been gone for years now.

With the bird rested and ready to take wing, Meg needed to compose a message. She didn’t know much more than she had before. Azazel had come back from the Council Meeting livid. Apparently the Council was investigating her province for wrongdoing. Alastair had laughed it off, but had let Azazel convince him to move up their plans. What those plans were exactly, Meg hadn’t been able to find out.

What she did know was that Alastair wasn’t entirely sure what the Enochian’s name was that he was dealing with. He did know, however, that it was the prince that had been at the border but had left. Hopefully that would narrow it down for Crowley and his crew. She also knew that he planned to take out the other Enochian prince and the generals, in a bid to throw the camp into total confusion. It would have been nice to have discovered exactly what he wanted to do to make that happen, but it wasn’t like she could just ask him nicely.

Meg just had to figure out how to word all of that into a letter small enough to be carried by her parrot. She supposed it was going to have to be really small handwriting.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> bonam: Agaranese for friend


	13. Chapter 13

Mary and Kate had waited the required thirty days after the funeral for mourning, but then they could wait no longer. Word went out that not only were Dean and Castiel in excellent health (a slight exaggeration that could be forgiven in the circumstances), but that Castiel was with child. Although the country had been made aware that he was fernan, there was some confusion still among the people as to how their newest prince had become pregnant. Nevertheless, the news was met with more joy than bewilderment, and the city celebrated.

It was unusual to have an announcement of birth happen outside of the summer months, and no one was entirely sure how to deal with it. Generally, a Cecropian laid their egg two months after the mating period, and it was announced that a royal egg had been laid at the harvest festival. Since Enochians did things differently, and especially due to the attack on Castiel at the harvest festival, rumors flew about how long Castiel would be pregnant and what the baby would look like. 

There was a general agreement that the baby would be a winged snake person, though there was also naysayers who suggested that the baby would have two tails instead of legs, and a small contingent that argued for legs and no wings. 

More importantly, the celebrations started. The first royal grandbaby was a big deal, and since no one was quite certain when it was due, that obviously meant that the party needed to start immediately. In Cecropia, normally a royal baby meant a year of celebration, for every month that the child lay beneath the ground growing. Finding out five months after the harvest festival, and knowing that the baby could be born in as little as two or three more months just meant that an entire year’s worth of festivities had to be packed into only a few weeks. 

Mary let Kate be in charge of the festivals. She was the more personable of the two, and had a better idea of what needed to happen, since she’d been through it the most recently of the two. Mary focused on strengthening the treaty between the Cecropians and the Enochians.

Within a week of the announcement, the gifts began pouring in. The Winchesters were well-loved, and everyone wanted to contribute to their offspring’s well-being. Toys and blankets came from all over, hand-carved from local woods, crafted from local fabrics, made with love by people of all means in life. Clothing came in too, of every kind, made for a child with wings, with legs, with tails… Kate wasn’t entirely sure what they were going to do with all the different types and sizes of clothing, but surely they would find a use for them. 

With Dean and Castiel’s permission, Castiel’s room connected to Dean’s was emptied and his things moved permanently into Dean’s room. Then Castiel’s room was converted into a nursery, with a small selection of the gifts used for decoration. The curtains separating the bed were lifted, so that anyone coming into the room could easily see into the bed, and several stuffed animals replaced all the pillows except the bunkers that kept the child in. That was closed off, so that the child would have a difficult time getting out.

Even with only some of the toys and other gifts in the room, it was still overflowing. The rest of the gifts were placed into storage, and Kate began the process of making sure that everyone was thanked. Technically that job should fall to Dean and Castiel, but since they were not home, it was up to Kate to make sure it happened in a timely fashion. Fortunately, she was able to rope Jo and Adam into helping her, and it wasn’t too bad. 

Mary made sure to ask for constant updates, and Kate made regular announcements. They even convinced Castiel to sit for a painting in Enochia (by an Enochian, of course. Naomi still wasn’t ready to completely open the borders again) so that they could see what Castiel and Dean meant by “Castiel’s belly grows rounder by the day.”

Honestly, it reminded them all of what a Cecropian looked like after a meal, but Kate and Mary were both polite enough not to say so. 

At least, not to Castiel.

*****

Gabriel grinned at his twin sibling as they sat in Raphael’s quarters. “How’s it hanging, oh sib of mine?”

Raphael rolled er eyes. “You are ridiculous, brother.”

“You know it!” Gabriel grinned widely and then leaned back. “So I’ve been following Zachariah. Well. Having him followed, anyway. My people are smart, and they’ve found out some things that neither one of us could have.”

“Do tell.”

“Well, it seems that while Zachariah has surely been mighty torn up by the death of his son, he’s also been seeing a great deal of Lucifer. I haven’t managed to get anyone in to hear his conversations yet, but I’m working on it,” Gabriel said.

“It is a wonder Mother and Father have never caught on to your secrets, Gabriel,” Raphael said.

“I know, right? But then, who would really believe that lovable Gabriel the buffoon would have a secret network of spies running the length and width of the nation?” Gabriel fluttered his eyelids and Raphael finally snorted.

“Anyway, continue.”

“Right. So more importantly, we’ve confirmed that not all of Lucifer’s company is back, and only two of his three lieutenants have returned from the front lines. By itself, that’s not all that weird, but given some of the things I’ve been hearing from my people on the front lines, plus what we know of what’s going on here, and that spells bad news,” Gabriel said. “Also, I didn’t have any reason to question his reports before, but since all this has been going down, I went back and tried to confirm Luci’s reports from the coasts on the Leviathan, and that’s not quite adding up either.”

“Do we have anything concrete that we could take to Mother?”

“Not yet. I’m working on it. Right now it’s all suspicion and intrigue, unfortunately.”

“Mother will never believe us on the basis of that,” Raphael said.

“Nope. I’ll keep working on it, though,” Gabriel said.

“I’ll see what I can do on my end.”

“You’ve got enough on your plate with the royal pregnancy,” Gabriel said with a wink. “Let me know when you need the baby to arrive, and we’ll make that happen.”

“Inias says Zadkiel will be able to travel in another two months, no less.”


	14. Chapter 14

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Midweek update! There may be one on Friday too, depending on my schedule.

For some reason, Dean had assumed that faking the pregnancy would be easy. He hadn’t considered the issue of Enochians having live births. He’d assumed that it would be a matter of telling people they’d laid an egg and then poof! It hatched! Congratulations all around!

That was apparently not how Enochians did things. Somehow, Gabriel had managed to fashion a fake ‘pregnancy belly’ that could be altered to look like it was growing. Since they wanted to get Zadkiel to them as soon as possible, Castiel needed to look like his child was developing at a rapid pace, and that meant nearly daily changes to the fake stomach. Fortunately, Enochian babies did develop quickly in the last three to four months, so it wasn’t too terribly unusual. Any questions were easily passed off as an issue of Cas bearing a Cecropian baby. 

Dean wasn’t sure what to make of the pregnancy belly. Cas looked… distended in a way that Dean was not accustomed to seeing his husband. It was a little concerning, to be honest. If this were real, Dean wasn’t sure he’d be able to stop annoying Cas with his worry. As it was, even knowing it was fake, Dean was constantly checking in with Cas.

“Can I help you, babe?”

Cas gave him a look. “No. You cannot help me. I am uncomfortable and Mother keeps sending more tea than I could drink in a year. I’m so full of tea my eyeballs are swimming.”

Dean blinked. “I could… get you some food?”

“Do I look hungry? Really Dean?”

“You… always look hungry?” Dean said, hoping he was saying the right thing.

Naomi turned the corner just then and laughed. “Feel free to smack him if you need to, Castiel.”

Dean turned wide eyes to Naomi. “What’d I do?”

Shaking her head, Naomi wrapped an arm around Castiel and smiled at her son. “Oh Dean. Pregnant people never want to hear anything negative. Especially not from the person who got them in this state. Right dear?”

Cas sighed. “Mother, Dean and I were just having a conversation. He didn’t do anything wrong.”

“Come with me, Castiel. I’ll get you some winter bloom tea and you can cool off.”

Stunned, Dean could do nothing besides watch as Naomi navigated Cas away. He waved as Cas looked back.

_Help me_, Cas mouthed, and Dean just shrugged. 

He’d been told there was nothing he could do to help, after all.

*****

Cas growled under his breath as Dean shrugged, but he couldn’t escape his mother without being rude. He was very tempted to be rude, but after all, she wasn’t _trying_ to be a pain in the tuckus. Mostly. He was pretty sure anyway. 

“Now Anna has been _dying_ to see you since the news went out, so I invited her along. I thought we’d have a relaxing afternoon catching up. And making plans, of course. I know your child won’t be in line for our throne, we wouldn’t _dream_ of combining kingdoms with the Cecropians and anyway James and Amelia have been trying for their first as well,” Naomi said, leading Castiel into a small sitting room marked off for royalty. 

“James has?”

“Of course he has! Lucifer was as well, before… Well. Ealde only knows what happened there, but they were definitely trying. Obviously, since she gave birth on the road.” Naomi paused, her voice trailing off. Kelly’s death had hit the whole family hard, and learning that she’d been pregnant was double the blow. No one offered any explanation for why she’d hidden it, but Naomi had taken to watching her older son more carefully. “Lucifer… well, all that business at the front, with him leaving early, and then Kelly… There’s not something going on I need to know about, is there Castiel?”

“If there were and I knew it, Mother, I would tell you.”

“Of course you would. I know that. You’re my dutiful son, after all,” Naomi replied. “Anyway… Onto more cheerful topics! And here’s Anna! We need to know what colors you’re going with for the child, Castiel, so that we can coordinate things they will need.”

Castiel just sighed as Anna sat down beside him, and they began to discuss baby things.

*****

Dean found himself at loose ends, and migrated to the medical wing. Although he didn’t need to be there anymore, he’d found he was comfortable with Raphael, and Raphael seemed to grudgingly enjoy his company as well.

“Come on in, Dean,” Raphael said when e saw Dean hovering at the door. “Perhaps you can help me.”

“Yeah? I can try, but medical stuff isn’t my forte,” Dean said.

“Oh, no. We know that quite well. Actually, though, we have something a bit more your speed, perhaps, that needs more… strategically minded people than myself,” Raphael said. “Gabriel has come up with some interesting news, and I’m currently trying to make sense of it.”

“Oh, okay. Yeah, let me see.”

Dean arranged himself down next to Raphael, leaning over the table Raphael currently had a large number of reports spread across.

“Gabriel has a… network, shall we say, of loyal like-minded people, who keep an eye on things in the kingdom for him. It’s how we’ve discovered traitors in our midst, people who write seditious materials or incite others to riot. It’s also how we keep an eye on the general morale of the country, and help bolster those communities that have been hurt by crop failure or natural disasters, and root out corrupt leaders who aren’t, shall we say, community-minded,” Raphael explained. Dean nodded for er to continue. 

“The thing is, we’re fairly sure that whatever Lucifer has planned, it can’t possibly have completely gone unnoticed by the local populace. We just don’t think they realize what they’re seeing. Until recently, we had nothing to connect Lucifer to anyone. If he meets with people, it’s within his chambers via his balcony, and his balcony is just too high up to make out individuals. But we’ve had a breakthrough.”

“Yeah?” Dean asked.

“We were fairly sure that Uriel didn’t go down defending Castiel, and we were right. Your friend Benny has confirmed what we suspected after seeing the body: Benny killed Uriel while defending Kelly. That gave us a connection,” Raphael said, as Dean’s eyes widened. “So Gabriel has taken to watching Zachariah, who is not nearly so careful about his movements or who he meets with. And that’s where these come in.”

“These are reports from people trailing Zachariah?” Dean asked. “He must be everywhere.”

“And reports of the people he has dealt with and who they talk to. It’s a network, and somehow we have to bring it all together. Unfortunately, Gabriel and I are a bit… Well, neither of us was trained in military strategy, so we lack subtlety in this area. Can you help?” Raphael asked.

“Sure. First, let’s organize this pile…”


	15. Chapter 15

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Another chapter! I hope you like it!

Cassie made her way up the tree Benny lived in. It wasn’t her favorite thing to do, climbing like this, but it was the only way she was going to get to meet Dean and Cas’s firstborn. Inias had sent word that someone who would be with the child regularly needed to start being introduced to the child, and Cassie was the only one in on the secret who could. So here she was, climbing a tree.

When she reached the top, she expected to be bombarded with a tiny running terror. Cecropians hatched mostly fully formed, eating solid food immediately and having no trouble moving under their own power. What she was not expecting was a tiny bundle of pink skin and soft cries.

Inias held the bundle of cloth to her. “You know how to hold a baby, right?”

Cassie backed away slightly. “I’ve never… it’s so tiny!”

“No smaller than most of our babies, thankfully,” Inias said. “They’ve got a lot of growing to do, but they’re old enough to hold their head up now, so you’re safe enough holding them.”

With that, Inias put the baby into her arms and she stared down at the child’s tiny hazel eyes. “They look like Sam’s eyes, almost. ...Why do you use ‘they’? I thought…”

“Oh!” Inias smiled. “Ealdan is the aspect of our deity that protects the children, and also groups. The plural form of our deity, if you will. It’s not _wrong_ exactly to use e/er, but you’ll often hear children referred to with they/them instead, because they have the potentiality of all genders.”

Cassie nodded and began to stroke the baby’s hair gently. “They’re so… I never imagined a child could be this small. They’re smaller even than the eggs we lay.”

“They’ll grow up before you know it. Now, Zadkiel is their name, right?” Cassie nodded and Inias continued, “Zadkiel needs a bottle every four to six hours. In another three months they can be weaned, but for now, this is what they eat.”

“Wait. They eat _how many times_?”

“Don’t worry, they’ll let you know. For right now, all we have is sheep’s milk, so you’ll have to make do by adding these herbs, about a pinch, to every bottle. When you get to Enochia you can switch to goat’s milk. Princep Raphael will know that, though,” Inias said, holding up a bag of herbs. “You’ll want to trade for the milk. We can’t send a sheep along with you, sadly.”

Cassie just nodded, her eyes trained on the tiny bundle in her arms. Zadkiel chose that moment to give a great yawn, their left arm and wing stretching up and out of the blanket. Cassie gently ran her hand along the fluff that covered Zadkiel’s wing, jerking back when the baby made a soft peeping coo.

“No! Keep doing that! Zadkiel enjoys that,” Inias said.

Carefully, Cassie moved her hand back, brushing the fluff again. The baby was so small and soft and tiny and frail and _adorable_. Focusing on Zadkiel, she continued to run her fingers along their wing again. She had plenty of time to learn everything Inias wanted her to learn. For now, she would just enjoy this moment.

*****

Alastair stared down at the sheet in his hand, before glaring up at his advisor. “And where, exactly, was this found again?”

“It was, uh. Tacked to your bedchambers door, my lord,” Azazel said from his place kneeling on the floor. 

The servant who found it had reported immediately to Azazel, understandably unwilling to take it to Alastair themselves. Azazel had briefly debated keeping it to himself as well, honestly. Alastair had taken the official news that the Council was investigating him rather well, but this? 

The Council had investigated before. It wasn’t terribly uncommon, given Alastair’s general tendencies. The Council and the other provinces might not want an all-out war, but Alastair had no such reservations. It was an open secret that he wanted more territory, and the only way to get that without starting a war with all of his people was to take that territory from the Cecropians. A war with Alastair’s own people would likely result in Alastair being deposed from his place as leader if not tried with treason and his whole family executed. Starting a war with Cecropia intentionally might result in the same thing. But an unintentional war with Cecropia? That was different.

Alastair had walked that line so far, at least as far as the Council knew. 

“Tacked to my _bedchambers door_. How did it get there, Azazel?”

“No one, uh… No one knows.” 

Holding the letter in his hand, Alastair paced the room. “Did you read it?”

“No, my lord,” Azazel said.

Crumpling the page in his fist, Alastair threw it to the ground. “Somehow, _Crowley Macleod_ got in here, into my home, and _gloated_. Somehow he _knows_ things. He _knows_ things, Azazel! How does he know things?”

Azazel cringed, and it only made Alastair more angry.

*****

While everything was in chaos following the discovery of Crowley’s letter, Meg snuck into Alastair’s war room. Crowley had been right; the letter she’d tacked to her father’s door had caused an uproar. But his war room was on the opposite end of the castle, in an area that was more often opened to other people. It had to be, to allow the generals in. 

It wasn’t hard to find her father’s list of contacts within the Enochian army. It took longer to copy them down onto the page she’d brought with her, but it was important. This room would eventually be searched, and if she could make sure everything was where it was supposed to be, Meg would guarantee that her father didn’t know that anyone else knew this information. And that meant… well, she wasn’t sure, honestly, but she had some idea. If they had a list of the Enochian allies, they could root them out. Possibly more. 

Meg knew what _she_ would do with that kind of information, anyway.

Without a backwards glance, she shoved the copied paper into her pocket and headed towards the kitchen. Best to get a snack, and then head up from there to be surprised by the chaos.


	16. Chapter 16

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Slow day at work, so here's another chapter.

Gavin MacLeod sighed as he made his way through the undergrowth, his tail out behind him to help him balance as he crouched to move. He couldn’t believe his dad sent him out here _again_. His logic made sense, of course. They’d seen him before, they knew he was as trustworthy as they could believe of any Agaranese person, he was high enough up the ranks to be worth something to his family, and he was obviously not a fighter. Nevertheless, Gavin was sure his father could have found someone else this time.

It wasn’t that Gavin found the cause unworthy. Preventing a war, particularly one they couldn’t win, was never a bad thing, and certainly it was a better cause than some of his father’s normal ventures. There were reasons his grandmother The Lady Rowena was planning to hand her rank directly down to Gavin. Crowley didn’t particularly care, fortunately. ‘There are better ways to power,’ his father always said.

It was probably true, but Gavin had no intention of finding out. He was happy learning to lead his people, learning to _serve_ his people. That being said, he absolutely should not be forced to crawl through the bushes at night trying to find the…

Fuck.

Found it.

“I don’t suppose you gentlepeople might be persuaded to point those weapons elsewhere?”

The Cecropians flanking him gestured threateningly with their bangars, making them rattle menacingly.

“I thought not.” Gavin sighed. This was going to be a long night.

*****

The cry went up throughout the camp, just as Jody, Donna, Cain, Sam, and Eileen were getting ready to break for the evening. Jody jerked her head towards the sound, and then headed for the door. The guard outside had an Enochian scout standing waiting, and was just about ready to signal to the inside of the tent when Jody poked her head out. 

“What’s going on?” 

“General,” the Enochian said. “The scouts on the south east side have apprehended an Agaranese intruder. He’s being brought in now. He’s claiming he’s spoken with you and the other generals before.”

Jody sighed. “Take him to the prisoner tents, but keep him separate from the others. Did you happen to get his name?”

“Gavin MacLeod, he says, General.”

“Great. Helical’s balls, this can never be easy. Take him to the tents, and we’ll be there shortly.”

The Enochian nodded and took flight. Jody watched them go, and then turned and headed back into the tent, where she settled back around the war table with the others. 

“Apparently, our friend Gavin is here,” she said. “Sam, you’ll want to meet him. Unfortunately he wasn’t quite as… sneaky as he was the last time, so I suspect we’ll have a fight on our hands when it comes time to release him.”

“I’ll deal with that,” Cain said. “I suspect it will be mostly my soldiers upset.”

“Nah, Cain,” Donna replied. “You forget that your prince may have been gravely injured, but our people lost their king. I’ll help when it comes time, cuz our soldiers are itching for vengeance, and we can’t let them take it out on the one man who might give us a chance to win this fight.”

Cain lowered his wings deferentially to Donna. “I appreciate the help, and apologize if my words were callous.”

“You’re all good, Cain,” Donna said. Then she turned to the rest of the group. “Now, if we want to prevent a riot, we better get to the scene. First Agaranese person we’ve apprehended since the fire? Everyone is gonna be wanting a piece of him, and I don’t want to be interrogating pieces.”

*****

Gavin sat chained to the central pole of the prisoner tent. The other prisoners of war had been moved out, and were currently shackled elsewhere. Given the circumstances, Gavin couldn’t say he’d been treated poorly. Jeered at, dragged a little faster than he could comfortably walk, and shoved a bit, but not treated poorly, exactly. His father and grandmother had both warned him to be careful on this trip, because the encamped army of Enochians and Cecropians would be tense after their encounter with Alastair’s plans. 

He’d promised he would be. And then he’d walked unannounced into the camp. Ah well. 

The light moved in the tent and Gavin looked up. As the tent flap opened, it revealed Jody, Cain, and Sam Winchester. Jody and Cain Gavin had met before. Sam was new. 

“Hello Prince Samuel, Generals,” Gavin said, with as much dignity as he could muster while shackled. “I would bow, but I find it rather difficult right now.”

“You’ve put us in a very awkward position, Gavin MacLeod,” Jody said.

“I find I’ve put _myself_ in a very awkward position as well. I promise you, it was not my intention to get myself caught in quite so spectacular a way.”

“Nevertheless, we’re in something of a mess right now. Please, please tell me you have something we can use so we can find a way to let you go,” Jody said. 

“I do. Is there any chance of unlocking me so I can reach my pockets?”

Jody sighed, but unshackled Gavin. Gavin stood up, rubbing his wrists where the shackles had been. When Jody raised her eyebrow, he grinned softly and reached into his clothing. “I’m not stalling, I swear. Here.”

Taking it, Cain looked it over. “A list of names?”

“Alastair’s informants and spies in your camp. Stolen from Alastair’s castle at great risk,” Gavin said. “We may not know his plans, but we can kneecap him with his co-conspirators.”

“And what does this do for you?” Sam asked. He was justifiably suspicious. Gavin hadn’t met him before, and Sam’s people had had bad dealings with the Agaranese all of Sam’s life. There wasn’t a lot of reason for Sam to trust Gavin. And Gavin did understand that.

“Well, beyond the fact that Alastair is proving to be worse than a snapping turtle at staying out of unnecessary fights, we’d all like to prevent a war. I can’t guarantee peace with any province but my own, and that’s not worth much since we’re so far from the border. But I can promise you I gain a lot by not letting my country get dragged into this war Alastair is so determined to have,” Gavin said. “Besides, exposing Alastair for what he is gains my province and my grandmother more clout in the Court, and that only helps me later when I take over.”

Cain and Jody were busy going over the list of names. “These are mostly Enochians… From Lucifer’s company.”

“Lucifer’s the one who sent the Leviathan after Castiel, too,” Sam said.

“Okay. Gavin, we’re going to have to keep you a couple of days, until we root out the traitors. Unfortunately, you’ll have to stay chained here for the duration. Apologies,” Jody said. Gavin sighed.

“And we have some traitors to round up,” Cain said. Despite his lack of claws or sharp teeth, Gavin couldn’t help feeling like he was the most menacing one there.

“Let’s get to it.”

*****

Dean laid out all the pages on the table in front of Gabriel and Castiel. Cas gestured over them. “We’ve found evidence that somebody is sending papers in from out of the country. We haven’t pinpointed exactly where they are yet, but everywhere the pamphlets reach here in Enochia, anti-Cecropian sentiment is fostered.”

“Wait. Are you kidding me? We’ve got someone sending out seditious pamphlets? How can you tell?” Gabriel asked. 

“Well, the papers themselves are only mentioned once like that. But once we started tracking who talked to the person who mentioned them, we figured out what code words to look for. Then after that it was just a matter of looking for similar code words and cross referencing it all, you know?” Dean said. “We found the most people talking about it along border towns, here, here, and here especially. It radiates out from there, getting fewer mentions as you get farther away from the border.”

Gabriel blinked at them. “Wow. You guys are good. The last time we had to deal with someone spreading seditious papers, it took us months to figure it out.”

Dean shrugged. “It was mostly Cas.”

“Do not listen to him, Gabriel. It was as much him as it was me,” Castiel said.

“Okay okay, you’re both pretty, boys. By Eald, this is amazing. And you’re sure it’s coming from… Cecropia?” Gabriel asked.

“Probably somewhere equidistant from these three towns, yeah, since this is where we found most of the mentions of it,” Dean said.

“All right boys. I can take it from here. This is amazing work!” Gabriel said, gathering up the pages in front of him. “You guys need to focus on more important things.”

“Like what?” 

“Babies! We have word that Zadkiel will be ready in a few more weeks, after all,” Gabriel said.

Cas and Dean shared a look.

“I still say that name is too big for him,” Dean said


	17. Chapter 17

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Things are starting to wrap up!

Gabriel sighed. “All right… What to do about this? I don’t have any power in Cecropia to do a real search… And sending a letter accusing the Cecropians of spreading seditious materials is not going to go over well. Prince Dean could help with that, but still…”

Shifting his wings, Gabriel leaned over the pages. He picked up the one page Cas and Dean had said mentioned the papers directly. “Let’s see, what are we--What a minute…”

Gabriel worked behind the scenes, but he had still been instrumental in taking down nearly all the traitors in the last few years, ever since he’d started taking over the trading infrastructure. The page didn’t just mention the pamphlets, it had a small excerpt from them, and Gabriel couldn’t believe he’d missed it.

It was the phrasing that caught his eye. It was so similar to that of a writer they’d exiled a few years ago, it could almost have been identical. The way the writer turned a phrase… Gabriel was sure of it. And if that was true…

There was no harm in sending a note to the Queens letting them know an exiled Enochian might be in the area spreading rumors. Especially since Ophidai City was in the range of places the traitor might be hiding.

*****

Mary handed the letter over to Bobby. “It seems Prince Gabriel thinks we have an infiltrator.”

“He’s accusing one of our own of treason?” Bobby asked.

“No,” Mary said. “One of the exiles that have ended up here, before the treaty stipulated they couldn’t exile them as punishment.”

“Never liked the policy of sending criminals to be your neighbor’s problem. Don’t mind if they got people that want to move here, but don’t do it as part of your punishment system,” Bobby muttered. 

“Anyway. We keep some minimal track of immigrants, right?” Mary asked. She wished Kate were here, but Kate was resting after her meal, and needed some time before she could get back into the thick of things. Bobby was fine, and necessary, and Mary trusted him implicitly, but he wasn’t Mary’s wife, and Mary wished it were possible for two of them to have been out of commission at once. She would have liked to be resting with her wife.

“Some, if they’ve been known to cause issues,” Bobby said. 

“Anyone writing anything hinky? Apparently this guy is known for writing propaganda.”

“I’ll check. Do you want me to stop in with you with my findings or…?” Bobby trailed off as Mary shook her head.

“No. Do what needs to be done as soon as possible. If they’re causing this much trouble in Enochia from here, who knows what they’re doing here in Cecropia?” Mary asked. “No, we need to get them questioned immediately. Take a member of the royal guard with you when you go. I want someone we trust at your back, just in case.”

“As you wish, my Queen.”

*****

The house was unassuming, nothing suggesting it was the home of a miscreant. Bobby and Dorothy and a small contingent of the home guard stood outside the door. There had been three or four people who were possibilities in this situation, but only one had really stood out. 

Marv Armstrong was a novelist who was known for his trashy romantic novels, one of the only people they had looked at that was literate, and the only one who made a living with it. 

Bobby knocked on the door. “Royal Guard, open up!”

A scruffy-looking older Enochian opened the door, his wings poorly groomed and ink on his hands. “How can I help you gentlepeople today?”

At Bobby’s nod, Dorothy pushed past Marv with a couple of the Cecropian guards. Marv grunted and tried to reach out to stop them, but Bobby grabbed him. “Marv Armstrong, I presume?”

“Yes. What is the meaning of this?”

“Under royal decree, we’re searching your house for evidence of treason,” Bobby said. “Stand aside.”

Marv continued to sputter, but it didn’t take long for Dorothy to come back out. 

“Sir, we found several documents that appear to be what the Queens are looking for, as well as evidence that he may have been plotting further,” Dorothy said. 

Bobby grinned down at Marv. “Looks like you’re coming with us, buddy.”

Groaning, Marv attempted to take flight, but the poor condition of his wings and Bobby’s firm grip on his shoulder stopped him. With a sigh, Marv nodded.

*****

“So Marv Armstrong is known as Metatron in Enochia?” Mary asked.

“Yes, Highness,” Bobby replied. “The documents we seized still need to be thoroughly gone through, but it looks like he’s been working behind the scenes for some time, influencing Cecropians as well as Enochians.”

Mary sighed. “Send anything of relevance to Dean and Sam immediately. If he knows anything that can help either of them, they need to know it. We’ll have to hope our current methods of communication are secure enough for this. I don’t think there’s going to be a better way to send information that will be reliable.”

“Probably not. I’ve got my most trusted people on this, so it shouldn’t get out beyond them. We’ll get to the bottom of this,” Bobby said, “and make sure those boys have what they need to stop it from getting worse where they are.” 

“Good. Let’s get started.”

*****

Dick Roman sat in the throne room glaring at the announcement that had been sent to the Purgatorio Throne. Hidden behind his veil, no one knew that Dick was not just the Royal Emissary and Ambassador, but also the Grand Ruler. 

Leviathan were bloodthirsty, seeing themselves as apex predators of both the land and the sea. To maintain that position, there was constant, deadly jockeying throughout the ranks. In order to have some semblance of stability, and also because generally dictators liked to stay in power as long as possible, the Grand Ruler of the Leviathan wore a close-fitting robe, topped with a veil that covered their face. It consisted of a long skirt that flared out from underneath a fitted jacket and button-down top. From under the veil, an ascot decorated the Ruler’s neck, effectively hiding it from casual attack. 

The choice to present himself as the Emissary had been an easy one. Trust did not come easy to Dick, justifiably so, and going himself meant that he knew exactly what happened every step of the way. It had had some shaky moments, sure, but he’d come through on top, just like he knew he would. 

And now, now… Somehow, they’d managed to get a man pregnant. Dick had sworn, rightfully so he felt, that Purgatorio would never recognize a relationship that couldn’t bear offspring. Pecuno, the God Of Wealth, would never ever bless such a relationship. 

Yet! And _yet_! The fucking Enochian had managed to get himself pregnant! There was a trick to it, something he didn’t know, Dick was sure of it. But it didn’t matter. Dick was bound by his word to respond with Purgatorio’s blessings, and he would.

Right after he’d thrown someone across the fucking room.


	18. Chapter 18

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Short chapter today! I'm getting excited about the ending.

Cassie stared down at the tiny baby in her arms. Inias promised Zadkiel was actually fairly large for their age, especially given that they’d been premature. Inias was concerned about the fact that Zadkiel’s right wing was stiff, though Cassie couldn’t say she understood. Sure, it made holding them a little harder, to avoid injuring the infant, but a stiff wing couldn’t be that much cause for alarm, right?

There was so much going on that Inias had had his hands full just caring for the infant. He’d talked a lot about how Zadkiel had some minor developmental delays and poor reflexes, but it wasn’t something he could spend a lot of time trying to fix. Zadkiel was only three months old, and so much had gone on in their young life. The issues could resolve themselves in a couple of months, without any problem, or they could turn into something more concerning, but it didn’t matter at this point.

“Are you sure they’re ready to go, though? They’re so very very small…” Cassie just had to make sure.

“I don’t know that Prince Dean and Prince Castiel can wait much longer, and Zadkiel needs their parents,” Inias said. “They’re big enough to make the trip, and should be on solid foods before too much longer. You’ll make it.”

“I’ll let the Queens know I’m heading back to Enochia for the birth, then.”

Benny stepped into the room, clearly heavily pregnant and moving gingerly. “That right? You’re leaving right before I give birth?”

Cassie smiled sadly. “I’m sorry, Benny.”

Inias shook his head. “You know he doesn’t mind that much, Miss Cassie. Besides, I’ll be here for Benny’s birth, and then present myself at the temple and request formal training in Cecropian medicine there. It’ll give me something to take back home, as our peoples begin to integrate further.”

Chuckling, Benny shook his head. “He’s right. When are you planning on leaving?”

“I’ll check in with the Queens, and leave in the morning.”

“We’ll have Zadkiel ready to go, then,” Inias said.

*****

The weeks without Cassie had been… odd. Dean loved Castiel, and they spent most of their days together, when Cas wasn’t being dragged away for baby-related things. When Hester brought the news that Cassie would be returning for the birth and bringing highly classified information with her, Dean couldn’t help perking up. He’d noticed a spring in Cas’s step after the news, as well.

It could just be that they were both getting excited about the baby, of course. Naomi had been fussing more and more, getting everyone in on it. Cas had been plied with treats and medicines to help with his ‘pregnancy’ and little gifts designed to make him smile. 

But Dean felt like it was more than that. This was so hard. If Cas were Cecropian, it would be easy. Dean would suggest they court Cassie, and they would move on from there. But Cas wasn’t Cecropian.

The problem was that this political marriage wasn’t really about politics between the two of them anymore. Dean had thought he wouldn’t need to worry about what his Enochian spouse thought of future spouses, because an arranged political marriage didn’t need to be anything more than… well. Politics. But Castiel was… He was so important, so very special to Dean, and Dean wasn’t willing to do anything without his full cooperation. 

Dean just wasn’t sure how to bring it up. Or if he even should. 

*****

Cas grinned as Dean moved into the room, his wings fluttering with excitement. He had something he wanted to talk to Dean about. He hadn’t been sure before, but with Cassie coming back… He knew it was time. 

Dean shut the door behind him with his tail and then curled around Cas. “Hey, babe. How are you today?”

Leaning back into his husband, Cas relaxed. “I am better now that you are here.”

“Sappy,” Dean said, but Cas could tell he was pleased.

“I had something I wanted to talk to you about,” Cas said, pulling Dean’s arms around him and his false pregnancy belly. After all this time, it had begun to feel like a real part of him.

“Yeah?”

“It’s about Cassie.” Cas felt Dean tense up, and sighed. “I know that you will eventually have to take on at least one more spouse, preferably one that can bear you children. I… didn’t know how I would feel about this when I met you, and at first I couldn’t imagine sharing you with someone.”

Dean started to say something, but Cas shook his head. “Let me finish. The last couple of months without Cassie have felt a bit like we’re missing a piece. I’d never really thought about what a three person relationship would look like but I think… I think I could see it with Cassie. Could you?”

With a large sigh, Dean twisted around to look at Cas in the eyes. “Yeah. Yeah I think I could. I’d been wondering how to bring it up to you. We’ll have to officially court her, if you really mean it, and it probably couldn’t happen until after… well. After all this. I don’t want to piss off your mom too much.”

“I don’t care what she thinks,” Cas said. “I care about you.”

Dean leaned his forehead against Cas’s. “Care about you too. Sap.”


	19. Chapter 19

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey. So a month after coming out as trans, my job let me go for a first, medically-caused transgression. So I'm really really sorry about the lateness of this. I'm... dealing. And looking for a new job. I'm Lasafara over on tumblr, if you'd like to find out more. I'll be posting about it later.

The trip back took most of three weeks. Traveling with a secret baby was harder than it sounded, it turned out. It helped that Zadkiel was on a regular schedule, and Cassie was able to time things so that they didn’t cry too much. Feeding was a little harder. Cassie had never been around an infant that needed to be fed so much, and with only liquid. It was weird, and had taken a fair amount of practice, but she managed.

Getting into the castle with a secret baby was harder, but fortunately Cassie knew where the medical wing entrance was, and Raphael was expecting her. E took the baby right away for a checkup and sent Cassie to go see Dean and Cas. Cassie was reluctant to leave Zadkiel behind after so long being their sole caregiver, but she knew it was necessary.

“Hey guys?” Cassie said, opening the door to Dean and Cas’s room, and where she would be staying again as well.

Dean and Cas were curled up on the floor, nestled against each other. Cassie smiled when they looked up and reached for her.

“Join us,” Cas said. “You had a long journey. You must be frozen solid.”

“Yeah,” Dean said. “We’ll warm you up.”

Cassie grinned. She was home.

Wherever these men were was home.

*****

Several hours later, Raphael came into the room with two baskets, one with blankets and another with medical supplies. 

“It’s time?” Cas asked.

“It’s time. Dean, we’ll notify the guards in about ten minutes that your husband is nearly ready to give birth.”

“And the baby?”

Raphael gently pulled the blankets up and unwrapped the child. “Sleeping, for now. In a couple of hours we’ll wake them up so that they can be ‘born’.”

“So tiny…” Dean stared down at the infant in Raphael’s arms. “How can they be so tiny?”

“You should have seen them when I first met them,” Cassie said, leaning over Dean’s shoulder. “They were so very very small.”

“I don’t understand…” Dean looked lost, staring down at the child in Raphael’s arms.

“Zadkiel actually looks a little big for… what, four months now?” Cas said, looking down at the child.

“Big?” Dean said. “They’re barely an armful!”

Raphael smiled. “This is how our babies look. They grow fast though. In no time, Zadkiel will be toddling about like a little goat.”

“This settles it,” Dean said, and the others looked at him. “I respect that they need an Enochian name and all that, but that name is bigger than they are. I’m calling them ‘Jack’.”

Cas chuckled, but he looked down at the infant. “Jack. Our child’s name is Jack.”

“If that’s decided,” Raphael said, “you ought to get out there and let people know. Your firstborn is on the way.”

*****

“You know the penalty for treason is death, Dagon. Your conspirators have been rounded up, but you can still escape capital punishment if you tell us what he’s planning,” Sam said. 

Dagon spat in Sam’s direction, earning a blow to the head from Cain. 

“You know exile is no longer an option since the treaty with the Cecropians, Dagon,” Cain growled. 

“The treaty lies in shambles and Michael will be dead before the end of the week, guaranteeing Lucifer’s ascent to the throne! This is only minor turbulence in a grander flight!” Dagon said, shouting her allegiance loud enough the guards outside the tent stirred in anger.

Sam grinned, his teeth bared. “So you plan to go after Prince Michael next, is that it?”

Snarling, Cain slapped Dagon again. “Trash. Nothing but trash. Come, Samuel. Leave the trash to her shackles. We have the traitors, and we will move Michael immediately.”

“That will do nothing! Lucifer will reign!”

Sam and Cain turned their back on the shackled Dagon. The executions would begin in the morning. 

There was no other punishment for the traitors.

*****

Cain stood at the door of the tent, carefully not looking at how closely to the bed Gadreel stood guard.

“I’m sorry Highness, but I am overriding your wishes. Whether or not you go into torpid, we are sending you to the Cecropian capital to recover there. Once Lucifer’s plans have been dealt with, you’ll be sent home,” Cain said.

“But--!”

“No, Highness. Your safety is paramount. You’ll be sent with the most trusted guards we have, and stay in Cecropia until we are sure the danger is past,” Cain said. 

“Gadreel is my most trusted guard--”

“No, Highness. I apologize, but I personally must trust them implicitly. Gadreel has not yet earned that right.” Cain paused, and then continued, “You have until tomorrow to say goodbye, Highness.”

Cain was not blind, nor was he heartless.

*****

Their last night together, Gadreel and Michael laid in the small hospice bed and held each other. Michael murmured promises of someday, and Gadreel held onto them, knowing that morning’s light would break all of them.

If there were tears, they were dry by morning.


	20. Chapter 20

“Shouldn’t you be breathing? Breathing is important, right?”

Benny sighed. “Balthazar, bonam, I am breathing just fine.”

It wasn’t quite true. Giving birth was an arduous process, and one Benny hadn’t personally been through, though he’d witnessed it before. He knew roughly what he needed to do. Right now, he was panting through the worst of the contractions, as Inias stood by in case of an emergency.

“Maybe you should lay down? I mean, you’re just popping a squat right there? That seems kind of…” Balthazar trailed off nervously at Benny’s glare. 

“My hips are not configured the same way your’s are, _Enochian_. If I wanted to injure the infant, I would lay on my back. For me, the safest way to give birth is on all fours.” Benny’s glare was ice cold and angrier than he’d been in a long time. Benny knew it was the pain talking, but Balthazar was _not helping_. “What are you even _doing_ here?”

“Well I mean, I’m about to be a father!” Balthazar said, wringing his hands nervously.

“No. You’re not. We’ve been through this,” Benny said, pausing to pant through the pain as another contraction hit. “You have nothing to do with this child.”

“Right. Yes, I mean, I know that, but no one out there knows that. I ought to--”

“Inias,” Benny said, cutting Balthazar off. “Any chance you could escort featherbrain to a suitable waiting area?”

Balthazar’s wings puffed up indignantly, but Inias simply nodded and gently but firmly ushered Balthazar out of the room. Benny sighed. Now to get down to the business of giving birth. Baby Jesse was coming whether Benny was ready or not, after all.

*****

Once they had settled in for the process of “giving birth”, which Raphael said would normally take several hours, Raphael pulled out some pages. 

“This is what Miss Cassie brought from Cecropia,” Raphael said. “The message with it said the Queens had taken an Enochian traitor into custody, and this was the information they found that was relevant to us.”

Cas settled Jack into the sling he had wrapped around his torso, smiling down at the infant. Jack gave a great yawn and nestled into Cas’s chest. Dean smiled. 

“I call next turn with the sling, babe,” Dean said. “So all we gotta do is work out how this affects what we already know, and plan from there, right?”

“That’s all we can do,” Raphael said. “And once Mother sees Jack, you’ll be hard put to get any time alone. So let’s do what we can in the few hours we can spend here.”

“Sounds good,” Cassie said. “I’ll do what I can to help too. Let’s do this, guys.”

With one last look at Jack, they all got to work. The time they got would depend a lot on how long Jack was happy. Once e woke up, it would be time to announce er birth.

*****

“This can’t possibly be real,” Dean said three hours later. Jack had been switched to Dean’s chest, and fed once. They’d kept the infant from crying so far, but that would only last so much longer.

“It seems ridiculous to believe it, but. The information here is accurate, as far as we know, to everything that’s happened so far, at least so far in what’s been attempted,” Raphael said. “We’ve thwarted some of these points. For example, the Leviathan attack didn’t kill Castiel, and by the time the borders were closed, Dean and Castiel were already through them, which probably thwarted Lucifer’s attempts to cozy up to Mother and Father.”

“And Mom’s messages about Dad… This sounds like what went down there…” Dean said.

“But this isn’t actually about us… It’s a fictional story,” Cassie said. “Or notes for one, anyway. The world described here is fake.”

“A fictional story was what got Metatron banished in the first place,” Raphael said, rubbing er chin thoughtfully. “It’s not that ridiculous, really, to assume he’d have hidden his role as the mastermind in notes for a fictional story.”

“So what now?”

Jack stirred, beginning to fuss. Raphael nodded, coming to a decision.

“Now we introduce Jack to their family. Then we talk to Gabriel. If this is true, we’re going to need his help.”

Letting out a wail, Jack interrupted anything anyone else might have been wanting to say. It was time for the world to come in.


	21. Chapter 21

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A longer chapter this time!

“Oh my goodness,” Naomi said, cuddling the infant to her chest. “Jack, you said? A bit simple, but with Zadkiel as a middle name, it does help properly ground them in both their heritages. That is smart, Dean.”

Dean smiled awkwardly. He kind of wanted to grab his child back from Naomi, but he didn’t dare. The woman was finally treating him almost like an equal, and he would only make it worse again if he did that. 

“Thank you, Highness,” he said instead. 

Cas’s fingers twitched towards their child and Dean could tell Cas wanted to take Jack back too. Most of it, Dean had to say, was new parent syndrome. In Cecropia, new parents usually had several hours after their child hatched to bond with their child. In Enochia, it seemed as though family intruded immediately. Even Cassie looked like she wanted to pull Jack out of Naomi’s arms.

Fortunately, Naomi seemed to figure out quickly that Dean wanted his child back in his arms, and handed Jack over. 

“We’ll have to arrange their official naming ceremony, of course. Do you have any particular timeframe in mind?” Naomi asked. “Of course, this would only be for the Enochian ceremonies. I expect Queen Kate and Queen Mary will want to have a ceremony of their own once you travel home. I will miss the little one. But of course, given their heritage, we will want to make sure to highlight your culture as well. We usually plan a naming ceremony for 14 days after the birth. Is that acceptable?”

“Er… yes. Mom and Mama will have a different ceremony later in Cecropia. We’ll need to send an official birth announcement to them, though,” Dean said, cuddling Jack to his chest and then slipping the infant into the sling around his torso.

“Of course! Would it be better coming from Joshua and I, do you think?

Dean nodded, and Naomi smiled.

“They’ve fallen asleep, the little dear,” Naomi said. “They know their father already. As to the ceremony, if you’d prefer, we can make plans and then you can tweak them later. I know how it is having a new baby. You just don’t want to put them down, even when you need to. Don’t you worry. Grandma Naomi will take care of everything!”

Blinking, Dean watched her go, then turned to Cas. “What just happened?”

“I’m not entirely sure, honestly.” Cas shrugged, before moving in closer to Dean and climbing onto his tail so he could see Jack. “But I’m glad. I’d like some time with Jack. And besides, we need to talk to Gabriel, too.”

“Right.”

But first, some bonding time with the baby.

*****

“So, we know that in the notes, the traitorous royal son placed foreign plants in the capital city. If we’re right, and Lucifer took this as a script to follow, we should be able to find foreign plants here in Fleamdom,” Dean said, Jack strapped securely to his chest.

Gabriel nodded. “Okay, so our job is to figure out the most likely places these people could be hidden, and root them out if possible.”

“Right.”

“Okay, well. I brought General Micah here to hear you out because we’ll have to work with him as the Home Guard General to do anything,” Gabriel said. “What do you think, General?”

General Micah fluffed his reddish-brown wings and hummed. “It seems fantastical, but given everything that’s happened in the last year, I’m willing to at least listen to you on this.”

“So, what would be your plan, then, Prince Dean?” Gabriel asked.

“Well, first I’d scout out empty buildings. You guys are all connected, so once you’re in one building you’re connected to all the other buildings, right?” Dean said. Gabriel and the general both nodded. “You’d want buildings fairly close to the capital, homes where the family has recently moved or is travelling long-term, failed businesses, things like that.”

Gabriel nodded. “That’s what I’d figured, too. Given my role as Prince Merchant, I keep a loose list of empty businesses that could be better used as something else. That way I can help keep the economy going, keep the merchant areas running, help newcomers to the merchant world, that kind of thing. I don’t have access to families that might be gone, unfortunately. We can at least check out empty businesses, though.”

“We can scout out those buildings without too much disruption to the surrounding community,” General Micah said. “It can be an exercise in urban scouting if nothing comes of it. And if something does… Well, I’m going to hope you’re wrong.”

“And if something does come of it,” Dean said, “we can start checking out residences.”

“This needs to happen soon,” General Micah said. “Molting season is around the corner, and that would be the most likely time for an attack.”

“Molting season?” Dean asked.

“It’s when we shed our feathers for the year and grow new ones. It’s a time we’re particularly vulnerable, since most of our fighting techniques rely on our wings,” Gabriel said.

The general gave Gabriel a look, and Gabriel shrugged. “He’s married to one of us now. It’s not like he’s not gonna figure it out.”

With a sigh, General Micah nodded. “Very well. If you will leave this in my hands, I promise to have results before the end of the week.”

Dean and Gabriel nodded. “Very good, General.”

*****

It didn’t even take a week for General Micah to confirm their suspicions. He reported back within the day that the first location had what appeared to be Agaranese people in the building. The next day he had confirmation that two more locations had Agaranese people in the building. By that point, General Micah was convinced, and running investigations in the residential areas closest to the capital to find any and all empty buildings. 

Before the week was out, there were reports that twelve buildings had a total of between 80 and 100 Agaranese soldiers in them. It wasn’t a lot, but 100 Agaranese soldiers let loose in the castle and the marketplace would cause absolute havoc, and unprepared, the home guard would have a hard time repelling them while dealing with the chaos.

Fortunately, with the forewarning, General Micah had no trouble with rounding up the foreign soldiers, and offered his sincerest thanks to Dean for the help. 

Cassie teased him about it forever afterwards, since Dean’s response had been, “It wasn’t anything, no problem, great, glad I could help, uh… Yeah.”

Dean might have a head for strategy, but he wasn’t good with positive reinforcement.


	22. Chapter 22

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Now we deal with Lucifer.

Lucifer growled at Zachariah. “They did _what_?”

Zachariah trembled, his wings pulled tight to his body. “It appears that somehow, the Home Guard General was alerted to where we were hiding the Agaranese soldiers, and nearly all of them have been taken into custody.”

With a roar, Lucifer pushed past Zachariah. “I don’t know how, but _somehow_ this is all Castiel’s fault. Castiel and that fucking _snake_.”

And with that he stormed off. It was time to find his brother.

*****

Castiel was in his room with his damn snake buddies and their mother when Lucifer found them.

“What did you _do_?” Lucifer bellowed, slamming the door behind him. Naomi flinched. Cas, with little Jack against his chest in their sling, turned toward the noise, instinctively protecting the tiny life he held with his arms. Dean and Cassie both turned as well, Cassie staying back while Dean moved forward. Cassie wasn’t a fighter, after all.

“Castiel! What did you _do_?!”

Lucifer stomped forward until he stood in front of Castiel, ignoring his mother next to him. Castiel looked up at him calmly, the only sign of any unease in the way he protected the infant.

“I’m not sure I understand what you mean, brother,” Castiel said, and it just infuriated Lucifer.

“Don’t play dumb with me, _brother_. All of my carefully laid plans, and for _what_? The Agaranese soldiers I so carefully brought across the border in secret have been rounded up, Michael is _gone_, out of my reach, and my loyal soldiers are being executed on the border as we speak. Somehow you even let the Leviathan get away, and I still don’t understand why you bothered with that!” Lucifer screamed. “It’s all ruined, because of _you_.”

Castiel raised an eyebrow. “And so you came here to admit it all in front of Mother?”

Jerking back, Lucifer turned to his mother, sneering. Naomi, never a physical fighter, only verbal, shrank away, backing against a wall. “She doesn’t matter. She never has. And thanks to her, maybe I can still turn this around.”

“What do you mean?” Dean said, drawing Lucifer’s gaze. 

“If I kill her now, I can fix this. I can kill her, Castiel, your fucking _child_, and then it will be my word against yours. Who do you think my poor grieving nation will believe, the royal son they watched grow up? Or _you_?” Lucifer asked, laughing triumphantly.

“You’d kill me?” Naomi said in a quiet, disbelieving voice. “Your own mother?”

“Oh please. You were always going to die,” Lucifer said. “How else could I take over? You let _Michael_ have everything, and I was always second best. The only way I was going to be first was if I reached out and _took_ it. And I _will_.”

With that he pulled his weapon from his belt and leapt for his mother with a snarl.

*****

Dean didn’t have more than an instant to overcome his disbelief and act, but he’d trained for years with Jody and Rufus, with Donna and his own father, and it was second nature to charge forward to protect the innocent. His tail flashed forward and swept Lucifer’s legs out from under him. Grabbing Lucifer’s wing as he fell, Dean pulled him back so he could reach Lucifer’s weapon. 

Lucifer twisted beneath him, scraping along Dean’s stomach with the tip. Dean was able to prevent him from pushing the weapon any deeper, but it was close. Shoving Lucifer to the ground, Dean slammed the blade out of Lucifer’s hand and pinned him beneath his body. Lucifer screamed incoherently but couldn’t get away.

“Everyone okay?” Dean asked, not looking away from the man beneath him.

“We’re fine, Dean,” Cas said. “Cassie protected my mother, and I’ve got Jack.”

“He tried to kill me,” Naomi said, shaking.

“What do you mean Cassie protected your mother?” Dean asked. “Cassie’s not a fighter. Cassie! You better not have gotten yourself hurt!”

“Nothing more than bruises, Dean!”

That got Dean’s attention and he was lucky that Lucifer didn’t take advantage of it. “Bruises?! You can’t get bruises when we’re married! I won’t allow it!”

“I don’t recall you ever asking me to marry you two,” Cassie said, and Dean scowled at her smirk.

“We’ve been busy,” he said with a pout.

Cas sighed, rolling his eyes forcefully. “We were planning to ask to court you in a much more… appropriate manner, Cassie, but it was planned. Do remember that.”

Naomi looked between the three of them askance, and finally spoke up. “Well. Dean, dear? Do you have my so--” She choked on the word, and then tried again. “Do you have the traitor well in hand?”

“I do, Highness.”

“Hang onto him. I will go fetch the guards and sound the alarm. We will…” Naomi paused again, gathering herself. “We will deal with this officially.”

*****

“And so we strip Alastair of his status as Lord of the Flavoklus Province and sentence him and his conspirators to death by exsanguination. Once drained of his vital and sacred fluids, his body will be burned and scattered to the earth, never to return to the Blessed Waters again.”

Alastair screamed at the pronouncement, snarling and gnashing his teeth. Azazel stood stoic, his expression giving away nothing even as tears streamed from his eyes. 

Meg watched the two men who had helped raise her from her place in the terrace with the other nobles and did not look away. She had helped this outcome come about, and she didn’t regret her role in it. Not when it meant her newly born child would live in a world more peaceful than the one of her childhood.

She watched the execution because it was her duty, and she did not look away.

She mourned in secret, much, much later.


	23. Chapter 23

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And I couldn't wait, I had to go ahead and post the last chapter! So the story IS complete now, but I do plan some timestamps, to meet the kids as they get a little older, to deal with Michael and Gadreel, and maybe a couple of other things. If there's something you want to know about that I missed, feel free to ask!

Naomi couldn’t bear to see her son executed. She pleaded for amnesty, enough to avoid the death penalty. Lucifer laughed when his sentence was announced, and swore he’d be back. Due to the severity of his crimes, Lucifer was bricked into his room, windows covered to prevent him from ever seeing the sun. 

He winked through the small opening left in order to give him food and check on him, too small for him to get through.

“Be seeing you, Mom,” Lucifer said.

Naomi held her head high as she watched her child being sealed away from the sky. Queens did not mourn for traitors.

Not even their children.

*****

Sam and his entourage stood out like a sore thumb at the coronation ceremony. Sam had been surprised at the invitation, since their nations were not at peace and had not been for years. But it came with an explanation.

_Prince Sam,_

_I know my province and my country has not always been a friend to yours. With my father’s passing, I would like to change some things. I would like to institute a new era of peace, and I believe the best way to do that is to invite you to my own new beginning._

_My inauguration is in a week. Although it is a peaceful ceremony with my family and infant child in attendance, I understand that you might be suspicious, so in an effort to show that we mean no harm, you may bring as many guards as will make you comfortable._

_Whatever your decision, please know that my family and my province wishes peace and prosperity for both our nations, and would like to meet with you or your representatives in the future for talks of a treaty._

Sam had talked extensively with Cain, Donna, and Jody, before finally making the decision to go. Now he rested near the front, with a clear exit, and a clear view of the ceremony. It also just so happened to be near Meg’s family, which calmed Sam and his guards immensely.

*****

At the end of the ceremony, instead of dismissing the crowd, Meg stepped forward. This was a surprise to Prince Sam, and Meg needed to handle it well. 

“Prince Sam, will you please come to the stage?” Meg asked.

With no little suspicion, Prince Sam climbed up onto the stage, flanked by two of his guards. 

“My father did not believe in peace, but I do. In order to show you my sincerity, my people’s sincerity in our wish for a real, lasting peace, I present you with this,” Meg announced, loudly enough that the crowd could hear her.

With a flourish, she pulled out the Cecropian skin coat that had been her father’s pride and joy, and presented it to the prince.

“We know nothing can make up for this, but in light of our desire for a new beginning, we want to return this... “ Meg paused, looking for the right word, “this Cecropian to you.”

Prince Sam’s eyes were wide as Meg handed the coat to an orderly, who respectfully folded in and placed it in a box.

“We hope to sit down with you soon for talks of peace, but please receive this as proof of our desire to change.”

To Meg’s great relief, Prince Sam gingerly took the box and bowed his head in her direction. “Thank you. I will send your regards to my mother. As far as peace talks, we will… be in touch.”

With a bow, Meg turned, and began the closing ceremonies.

*****

Things settled out, and Castiel was grateful for it. Time with Jack was precious. He, Cassie, and Dean took turns carrying the infant around, and all of Jack’s little sounds and movements were utterly wonderful. Dean and Cassie were still perfecting the art of burping and diaper changing, though Cassie was far better at it than Dean. Cas was actually the worst at it, being the baby of his own family. With three of them, and little else that needed to be done, dealing with Jack’s feeding and sleep schedule was not as bad as it could have been.

The announcement of Jack’s birth had had to be postponed due to… well, everything, but it was finally time to do so, and Cas knew it meant life would get busy again. Once the public knew about Jack, there would have to be speeches and parades and all the sort.

Some of it would be left out, because it was winter, after all. Enochians didn’t have a specific time of year they bred, like Cecropians, but most babies came in the fall, after Enochians spent a long winter kept in close quarters. Certain activities just weren’t very good for infants, things like being out of doors for long periods.

Nevertheless, a public ceremony was necessary, and it was time to get to it. Cas changed Jack’s diaper while Dean and Cassie got dressed. Then it was Dean’s turn to feed them, while Cas got dressed. Cas was just finishing up as Dean laid a towel over his shoulder and burped the baby. 

Naomi had planned the whole thing, ostensibly with the help of Dean, but really she’d barely taken in anything he’d suggested. They didn’t mind too terribly much, though. This wasn’t Jack’s official ceremony, not really. Jack, for all they had wings and legs, was officially Cecropian, since Cas had joined Dean’s family and not the other way around. Naomi wanted it to happen before the molting season, and with that right around the corner now, there had been a rush to both give enough time to be seemly after Lucifer’s betrayal and get the ceremony in as well.

“Are you ready?” Cas asked, taking young Jack and strapping them to his chest securely.

“As we’ll ever be,” Dean said.

“Let’s get this over with, then.”

*****

As winter turned into early spring, molting season finally began. Jack should be beginning to crawl, and Raphael was expressing doubts that Jack was developing on time. 

Cas was itchy and irritable. Jack was sitting up finally, but tended to lean on their right side, not quite using their full body. Cas was concerned about that, and frustrated with his own patchiness. He felt ugly and uncomfortable in his own skin. Molting was his least favorite time of year.

“Hey babe,” Dean said, moving into the room. “Here, let me take Jack from you.”

Dean took the baby and bounced them in his arms. “Who’s my big child, huh? Is it you?”

“Dean, I hate this,” Cas said.

Cassie came in after Dean and stared at Cas, who was draped dramatically across the cushions now that he didn’t have a child to watch. “What do you hate now?”

“My wings. I should cut them off. This is the worst,” Cas said.

Rolling her eyes with a laugh, Cassie moved over to Cas. “Can I help you rub oil into them? I know you’re patchy and itchy, but we can do some things to help. Dean can watch Jack.”

With a sigh, Cas stretched his wings out and Cassie began to groom his wings. It didn’t take long before he began to feel better, especially with Jack laughing in the background.

He loved his family.

*****

Raphael shook er head. “I know the cause of Jack’s delays, now. They have lyftadla palsy. It’s a form of… well, birth defect. I suspect, given Kelly’s stress and other issues, that something like this was inevitable.”

“What does that mean?” Dean asked.

“Well, Jack will need more care than an average child might, but with three parents you should have that well in hand. Inias can help you when you go back to Cecropia. He seems to want to stay in Cecropia longer,” Raphael said. “At this point, it’s really hard to tell how severe a case of palsy it is, but that will come with time. As it stands… We know what’s happening, at least.”

“So all we can do is love them?” Cassie asked.

“Thats the best thing you can do, yes. I’m sure they will make a fine monarch someday, nevertheless,” Raphael said.

“Our little monarch,” Cas said, cuddling little Jack to him. “We’ll love them all the same.”

“Damn right we will,” Dean said.

*****

Dean, Cas, and Cassie finally left Enochia after Cas finished his molting season, over eight months after they’d arrived. According to his official birthdate, Jack was three months old by then, though they were actually closer to six. They hadn’t started crawling yet, which was concerning since most Enochian babies started crawling at six months. Raphael said it was part of the lyftadla palsy, though, and not to worry. Naomi had been tickled pink that Jack was progressing so quickly.

Fortunately, Jack had taken to solid foods like a champ, and the trip back was not as difficult as Cassie’s trip to Enochia had been. When their carriages and entourage arrived in Ophidai City, the whole town was in the middle of a celebration.

Cas looked out the window. “What is going on?”

Dean grinned. “Well. You remember how we sent messengers ahead at our last stop?”

“Yes…” Cas said cautiously.

“Well. Mom and Mama figured, after so long, the returning sons deserved a party. Especially since we came with their first grandbaby,” Dean said. “We’re gonna have to figure out how to explain Jack’s gender though. Normally they’d be… well. A prince.”

“We could call them a princep, like we do in Enochia,” Cas said.

“What about a prinkipa? Would that work? That’s what our root word for prince is,” Cassie said. “It’d be more similar to what some of our people call princes and princesses in their own languages.”

“That could work… We’ll still have to explain why we can’t use prince, though,” Dean said. 

“That’s easy,” Cassie said. “We’re respecting their Enochian heritage.”

Cas smiled, gently petting the head of hair that poked out of the sling against Cassie’s torso. “I can’t wait to show you your new home, little one.”

*****

“Without further ado, I give you Prinkipa Jack, the newest member of the royal family!” Mary said, her voice echoing through the amphitheatre. The gathered crowd roared, bangars rattling and voices raised throughout the congregation. Jack was held up over all of it by Dean, looking down at the people there in what could only be described as confusion and surprise. It didn’t matter. 

Dean quickly pulled them against his chest when they started to fuss, but the crowd didn’t calm. The real party had been started, and the celebration would go on for days. Jack was a miracle baby, and even with their overbent right wing and weaker right side, no one saw any flaw in the child. Anyone who even remotely looked at Jack funny had three parents at their necks in an instant.

The Enochians, Agaranese, _and_ the Leviathan had all sent representatives to witness the baby’s presentation, and while the Leviathan had not been allowed nearly as close as the Agaranese or the Enochians had been, no one could deny that Jack belonged to Cas and Dean. It was generally agreed by the representatives that the child’s weaknesses, if they could be be called that, were because of their mixed heritage. After all, no one could have predicted that Jack would be conceived at all. It would have been almost unbelievable that they would come into the world without some differences. Dean hadn’t been sure about letting the Agaranese entourage so close to Jack, to be honest, but Sam had vouched for Gavin, while Benny vouched for Andrea. Andrea would be staying in Cecropia after the rest of the representatives left, as a permanent ambassador from Agares. Benny was in the process of moving to his new quarters with his wife. They would be remarried within a month after the other representatives had left.

Cas and Dean had been courting Cassie for several months now, and with his mothers’ approval, he and Cas would be officially proposing to her next week. Cas and Dean had already been practicing their proposal dance. 

Sam was off to the side, Eileen by his side. They needed to finish their religious training, but Dean was sure there’d be another proposal dance in the wings. 

Things would never be the same, but with Jack in his arms, Dean couldn’t wish for them to be. He had two amazing spouses, a beautiful child, and with any luck would have more within a few more years.

Pulling Cas to him, Dean smiled. No, he wouldn’t wish things to be the same as a year ago. Not when he’d been so very blessed.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> lyftadla palsy: Cerebral palsy

**Author's Note:**

> genrevelier: a kind of gender introduction party for Agaranese children once they've established what gender they are, usually by the age of five or six.
> 
> Arete: The philosopher whose words most of Agaranese culture is based. Arete has achieved a sort of mythological status in the minds of the Agaranese, and she is often invoked in a similar manner to a deity.


End file.
